Creamy Broccoli Soup

I was talking to my mom about soup last week and she mentioned that she was craving a good cream of broccoli soup. So when trying to decide what soup to make this past weekend, choosing broccoli soup was a no brainer. I made enough for both my mom and I to have it for lunch for 4 days.

I didn't use a recipe - just made this up as I went along. We both loved it! Creamy, cheesy, and the perfect lunch with a nice hunk of crusty bread or a small sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 heads broccoli, chopped
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 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 onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Saute 4-5 minutes.
• Add the broccoli, a few pinches of salt and pepper, and the broth; bring to a boil then let simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
• Remove from the heat and puree using a handheld immersion blender (or transfer to a blender and puree in batches).
• Return to low heat and add the cream. Let heat through for a few minutes.
• Add the cheese and stir until melted through the soup.