Broccoli Cheese Soup

By MichelleF

CenterCut Cook, Jason’s Deli Copycat Recipe ~ I made some changes due to personal taste. I sautéed the celery with the onions, omitted the carrots & nutmeg, & increased the cheese to 2 cups, because more cheese is always better! Click on the link to see the original recipe. Note: Special equipment needed is an immersion blender to make it creamier. Easier than pouring batches into a blender or food processor! The original recipe doesn’t use it, but I’ve seen it in other broccoli cheese soup recipes to puree the veggies & I don’t like my broccoli cheese soup chunky!

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 heads broccoli, florets roughly chopped & stalks discarded
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups sharp shredded cheese, plus additional for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion & celery until soft. Stir in chicken broth, half & half, & broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, & simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until broccoli is soft & tender. In a small bowl whisk together milk & cornstarch. Pour into soup pot, stirring 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to make it creamier. Stir in pepper, garlic powder, thyme, & salt. Add cheeses & stir until all of the cheese has melted. Top each bowl of soup with a little extra shredded cheese. Serve immediately.