Broccoli Cheese Soup

I blasted my heater on the way to the gym today. It was a chilly 68 degrees. Don't laugh. This Arizona/Florida girl likes the heat. Anytime I have to put real shoes on, besides my flip flops, I get grumpy and agitated. The cool front had me craving some real comfort food and it seems like I always turn to Mel's Kitchen Cafe for that.

Let me tell you something about broccoli cheese soup. A couple of years ago I was in charge of making soup for 250 women. We had a couple of different flavors but the broccoli cheese soup was gone WAY before the others. It tends to be a crowd favorite. This soup is thick, creamy, cheesy, and easy to make. I love the flavor that the Swiss cheese adds.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Source: MelsKitchenCafe

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced finely
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups chopped, lightly steamed or blanched broccoli (I left mine in pretty big chunks)

DIRECTIONS:
Note: I used Mel's tip of cooking the broccoli in a glass bowl covered in saran wrap in the microwave for 3-4 minutes while you prepare the rest of the soup. The broccoli comes out perfect.

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes.

In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended.

Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in cooked broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Mine was really thick because I think I added more broccoli than it calls for but that's how I like it. If you need to thin it out you can whisk in some more milk or chicken broth. If it's too thin, you can simmer it a bit longer to thicken it up.

Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls. Makes 4 servings.