Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 large potato
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 large broccoli crowns
- 1 medium stalk celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 1½ teaspoons canola oil
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 2 (14½-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ounce low-fat cheddar cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Materials
- Box grater
- Can opener
- Cutting board
- Large pot
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler
Special Materials
- Blender
Instructions
- Rinse and peel onion, potato, and carrot. Rinse broccoli and celery. Peel garlic.
- Dice onion and celery. Slice potato and carrots into thin slices. Cut broccoli florets away from the stem. Slice stems thinly. Mince garlic.
- Grate cheese.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add celery and onion. Cook until soft and lightly golden brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Cook about 30 seconds more.
- Add potato, carrot, broccoli stems, bay leaf, milk, and broth to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are soft, about
- 15 minutes. Add broccoli florets in the last 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard bay leaf. In a blender, puree about half the soup. Return blended soup to pot.
- Add cheese, salt, and pepper. Simmer to melt the cheese, 2–3 minutes.
Chef’s Notes
- Try cauliflower instead of broccoli.
- Add a dash of ground cayenne pepper or paprika for heat.
- Keep pot uncovered when cooking green veggies like broccoli. This will help keep the color.
- Be careful when blending hot soup. Fill the blender only half full. Blend in batches, if needed. If your blender lid has a removable cap, remove it. Then, cover the lid completely with a kitchen towel. This allows hot steam to escape.
- If you do not have a blender, gently use a potato masher to blend hot soup.
