Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am always looking for new ways to get my husband John, to eat green vegetables. Since he loves bacon and cheese on everything, I came up with a soup recipe using his key ingredients and my green veggies. I found it to be very delicious and John said, "It's not bad." That statement alone I take as a compliment from him, and I will make this again soon.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup of scallions sliced about ¼ inch thick (green onions, or cebollines in Costa Rica)
1 cup of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli, trim off the woody part of the stem, and chop the rest, with the florets into pieces
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons flour
2½ cups of milk
2 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized stockpot on medium/low heat. Sauté the scallions and celery until tender, then add the garlic, and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes to cook the garlic. Be careful not to burn it. Add the broccoli and broth to the stockpot. Cover it and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Use a potato masher to mash the broccoli as fine as you like it. I like mine a little chunky, so this is a question of taste. You can also use an immersion blender at this stage to puree the broccoli.

In a small sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and add the 3 tablespoons of flour. Cook the flour in the butter for at least 3-4 minutes, or the soup will have a floury taste. Now gradually add the 2½ cups of milk and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and bubbly. 

Add the sauce to the broccoli in the stockpot. Then add the black pepper, grated cheddar cheese, and the diced cooked bacon. Bring everything to a low simmer for about 5 minutes and it will be ready to serve.

¡Buen Provecho!

Serves: 6

Note: Substitute cauliflower, or spinach, for the broccoli and you'll have more delicious soup options.