Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:
4-6 heads of broccoli (stems included), chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbs olive oil
6 cups veggie or chicken stock  *veg for vegetarian
dried herbs (parsley, basil, thyme, garlic powder)
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (low fat)

Directions:
Saute diced onion and broccoli stems in 1 Tbs. olive oil until slightly softened before adding stock, herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until broccoli stems are cooked through and soft. Add in broccoli florets and cover to steam, 5-10 minutes, until softened. Using an immersion blender, puree soup to desired consistency before stirring in shredded cheddar a little at a time to avoid clumping and promote even melting. Top with additional cheese or sour cream, serve hot.

I like making soups and this one is certainly easy. I actually added in some spinach just before pureeing because I wanted to have a bright green color to the soup; cooking the broccoli to the desired texture means it loses it's naturally verdant color. The spinach adds color without effecting the taste.

Enjoy!