Lightened Up Broccoli Cheese & Potato Soup

Adapted from skinnytaste.com

This soup was easy to make.  And quite yummy, too!  I used Colby-jack cheese in place of the cheddar, because that's what I had on hand.  Depending on how much of the veggies that you blend, you may want to add a little milk to thin it out at the end. I also totally cheated and used 2 cups of frozen hash browns in place of the potatoes.  They only took 5-8 minutes to cook instead of the 10-15 that regular potatoes would have taken.

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 cup fat free milk

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small

salt and fresh pepper

4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces

1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar

2 slices 2% American cheese

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a food processor.

In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.

Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, Parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheeses, stir well and remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, and then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it.

Yields: 4 servings