Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I was craving a few things at once in a soup last week - from potato soup and something creamy to something cheesy and with lots of vegetables. So I combined all of the ideas and came up with this Cheesy Vegetable Chowder.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise then chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 4 c chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 small or 1 large potato (Russet or Yukon Gold), chopped
• 1 c broccoli florets (I used frozen - thaw it out under cold water then gently squeeze the water out)
• 1/2 c frozen corn
• Pinch or two of dried thyme
• A few shakes of salt and pepper
• 1/2 c light cream
• 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot.
• Add the onions and garlic; saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add the carrots and celery; saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add the flour and stir.
• Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are soft (don't let them get to the point of being mushy!).
• Add the corn and broccoli, simmer a few minutes.
• Add the cream and continue to simmer for a few minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted through the soup.