Smitten Kitchen's Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Directions

Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and adjust seasoning if needed, but err on the cautious side with the salt because the cheese will add a bit. Puree the soup to your desired texture—I like mine fairly chunky, just lightly blended—with an immersion blender or in an upright one. Back on the stove, add cheese and whisk until melted, about 1 minute.

Serve in bowls, garnished with a pinch of cheese. We like a hearty slice of grainy toasted bread on the side, for swiping.

Notes: Instead of 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) half-and-half, you could use 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) milk + 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream, or 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream + 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) additional stock or broth. I like to use both broccoli florets and stems when I cook, and I find that the stems cook up with the best texture and at the same rate as the florets when I peel them first. I do so here.

Recipe courtesy of Deb Perelman, cookbook author and founder of Smitten Kitchen