broccoli, cheddar and potato soup.

I use to really not love soups with broccoli in them.

To me, they mostly tasted like someone cooked the beejeebus out of frozen broccoli and then pureed it with milk-colored water. They reminded me of broccoli, but really didn’t taste anything like the little bright green trees I love.

But this. This is something special.

This has cheddar and potatoes and is pureed into something so smooth and creamy, you’ll never believe it is creamless.

This is perfect for the winter that we are currently experiencing. The winter that seems like it’ll never end. Soups like this almost make me want winter to stick around.

Almost.

Broccoli, Cheddar and Potato Soup

(adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes)

1 small onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup skim milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
salt and fresh pepper
4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Chop onion, carrots, celery and garlic finely (or use a food processor). Heat butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add veggies and saute until tender and water is cooked out. Sprinkle with flour, stir and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add potatoes. Cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli, cover and cook until broccoli is tender. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in cheddar until melted and serve.

Makes six servings.

This one is really, really easy. Especially with the use of some (not so) heavy machinery. Use your food processor to chop all the veg. Go ahead and pulverize it. You are going to puree everything later anyway.

Heat butta in a soup pot.

Saute the veg in the butter until tender and the water has evaporated. Sprinkle with flour.

Stir well and cook for a few minutes just to cook the flour taste out. If you used your food processor, this should be a paste-y, gloupy mess. Stir in the broth and milk.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the potatoes.

Cook for 10 minutes, or until fork tender. Add in the broccoli.

Cover and let cook until the broccoli is pretty soft.

And then go at it with an immersion blender. You could also puree in batches in a blender.

Once it is a beautiful green, remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

Serve topped with more cheese, if you are feeling particularly daring.

I have a thing for vegetable-based soups that are actually really, really light. This soup is under 300 calories per serving and packs a really nice veggie and nutrient punch. It is always nice to have a bowl of creamy soup and know you are actually eating something that is great for you.

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