Thanks for the Soup, Food Network Magazine!

Kevin made a tasty Broccoli-Cheddar soup last night for dinner - from the cover of Oct. Food Network Magazine. It was pretty darn good, although Kevin made a few tweaks and would prob do a few more next time too - just to add a little more flavor. It was a really quick meal - good for weeknights.

looks even better than in the magazine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets  + we had fresh cauliflower from our crop share box, so we added that too
• 1/3 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
• Croutons, for topping (optional) - shouldn't be 'optional', should be a 'must add' - we use garlic croutons & they were SO good in there.
• + we added fresh garlic
• + we added yummy bacon bits for topping

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. (Kevin says next time he would saute the onions + some garlic and add them at the end with the broccoli so there would be some more chunks of veggies) Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl; add 3 tablespoons water and season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to let steam escape (or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water, if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat; stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, if desired.

Over all it was really tasty - I added extra salt and garlic salt - but I like things pretty salty. We made some garlic toast for dunking - yum!

Per serving: Calories 589; Fat 34 g (Saturated 18 g); Cholesterol 97 mg; Sodium 931 mg; Carbohydrate 50 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 22 g


+ a special thanks to Kym Martin for giving Kevin us the first year subscription of Food Network Mag. for our wedding!