Broccoli Cheddar

Everybody knows the way to get a kid to eat broccoli is to smother it in Cheddar cheese sauce. Well, maybe. It's a great flavour combination and it works really well with soup. This is a very quick and simple soup that you can have on the table when your kids get home for lunch. If they eat lunch at school, send it along in a thermos with a sweet potato biscuit or a half of a chickpea salad sandwich and some fruit for dessert.

I don't have kids at home anymore, but my husband and I enjoyed this for a light lunch. I actually ate the leftover soup cold for breakfast the next morning and quite liked it that way as well, so you could consider serving it as a summer soup. The cookbook author suggests pumping up the flavour doubling the amount of garlic and adding some hot sauce.

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Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, or one 16 oz package of frozen broccoli florets
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 1/2 tsp fresh
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large stockpot, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute them until the onions are translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, broth, and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer it for about 5 minutes until the broccoli is very tender, about 5 minutes longer if you are using fresh.

2. Using a hand-held immersion blender or a standing blender, puree the soup. Return it to the pot to reheat, if necessary, and stir in the cheese until it is fully melted, about 1 minute. Remove it from the heat and serve immediately.