The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    I've always been a huge fan of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar soup! It's so creamy and cheesy, I just love it! I wanted to make something different for our church's soup and sandwich luncheon a few weeks ago. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like broccoli cheddar soup. So, I found a recipe that looked awesome and I tweaked it a little bit. This recipe makes a lot of soup. If you're not cooking for a lot of people or a lot of left-overs, I recommend you cut it in half.  

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 medium onion, diced

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter

- 1/2 cup of flour

- 4 cups (32 ounces) of chicken broth

- 4 cups (32 ounces) of half and half

- 2 cups of shredded carrot

- 1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen broccoli

- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 (16 ounce) package of shredded cheddar cheese

    In a small sauce pan over medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large 6 quart soup pot, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour to make a roux. Let the roux cook and bubble for 3 or 4 minutes. Next, slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half. Add a little salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring with the whisk about every 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Then, add the carrots, broccoli, and onion/garlic mixture. Let it simmer for another 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. With an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency. Add the cheddar cheese, let it melt, and serve!