Broccoli & Cheese Soup

Did fall seem to come early this year or is it just me? Maybe I just wasn't ready for the cold weather part of fall. I mean I was clued in by the trees changing colors across the mountains--then last week the temperature dropped. We pulled out coats, scarfs and umbrellas, and I put away the sandals I was wearing just a week ago. I think that even the flowers were surprised by the sudden temperature drop.

At work I sit one cubicle away from large windows and have a great view of the Wasatch mountains. The other morning the storm clouds were so thick you couldn't even see the mountains. Around lunchtime the clouds had cleared and the mountains had turned from green to white. It had snowed. Poof. "Insto-presto!" or is that "Presto-Chango?" Welcome to soup weather.

I've been surfing Cooking Light lately for recipes and found a recipe for Broccoli & Cheese soup. As you might imagine, my family is quite patient with my habit of trying new recipes. I had just made this soup when I left to pick my daughter up from a meeting and I came home to hear all about how good the soup was. Everybody liked it! Thank goodness! BTW, I know the "cheese" in the photo isn't the "light" stuff mentioned in the recipe below, but I was lucky to even get it. I never know where to look for it. It's never with the other cheese, right? It's not by the macaroni and cheese either. The bagger ran and got it for me at the checkout, so I didn't learn the secret of where they keep it. Where do they display it?!? Ahem. And now back to the soup...

Broccoli & Cheese Soup
Cooking spray (I used about 1 t olive oil too, because the onion was sticking to the pan)
1 C chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-oz.) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 C 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 C flour
1/4 t black pepper
8 oz. light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

Spray stock pot with cooking spray, add olive oil, then sauté the onion and garlic until tender, add broth and broccoli. (I had a 12 oz bag of broccoli and only 1 can of broth so I made up for the fluid with water and chicken bouillon). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium, cook 10 minutes. While it's cooking combine milk and flour with a whisk and add to the stock pot. Cook 5 minutes or until it's thickening (stir regularly). Remove from heat, add pepper and Velveeta (cubed) cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Put 1/3-ish of the soup into your blender (I put hot water in the glass blender first to hopefully make the glass hot so it wouldn't crack with the hot soup). Blend until smooth and pour back into the stock pot and stir to combine. Serve.

Source: Cooking Light, January 2002 (They even have nutrition facts with the recipe! Way to go Cooking Light!)

Suzanne
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