Broccoli Cheddar Soup

What do you do when you plan to make a cream of broccoli soup and you add your broccoli and realize that you do not have enough broccoli to finish the soup?  Think on your feet, add cheddar cheese and you end up with one of your best results ever by mistake.  Then, you choose to share with your blogging audience that you screwed up.  The picture won’t show it, but this story does.

I also did not skimp on the ingredients.  I had whole milk and heavy cream in my fridge from some baking and wanted to use it while still fresh.  This is not then, the low calorie way to make this dish.  It sure did taste good.  I hope my wife does not read the post or she will be really mad at me.  She ate a lot of this soup and would not have done so if she knew how I made it.

Recipe
Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
•  1 onion, chopped
•  1 stalk celery, chopped
•  3 cups chicken broth
•  8 cups broccoli florets
•  3 tablespoons butter
•  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  1 cup each whole milk and heavy cream
• 2 cups of cheddar cheese (mix of mild and sharp)

Directions:

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Pour the soup into a Cuisinart and pulse. Puree in batches until somewhat smooth and pour back into the pot. 
3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.
4. Finish by adding in the cheese a handful at a time.