Potato and Broccoli Cheese Soup

I have one word for this soup....AWESOME! I love a good soup and this recipe definitely fits the bill! I bookmarked this one on Amber's Delectable Delights a few weeks ago as one of my "to try" recipes. This past Sunday, we stopped for soup and sandwiches on our way to do some grocery shopping. We had some Wisconsin Cheese soup that was pretty good. It of course got me to thinking about making soup so I quickly added some ingredients to my grocery list on my phone!

One thing that I learned AFTER I made this yummy Broccoli Cheese Soup is that in order to get a really creamy texture, you MUST use block cheese. Although some find it more convenient to use the pre-shredded cheese, it includes a wax substance (to keep it from sticking together) that prevents your soup (or other dish) from achieving that creamy texture. I made sure to use block cheese this time and there was a world of difference in the texture and creaminess. Actually I've pretty much stopped buying the pre-shredded kind altogether (something about the idea of eating wax didn't appeal to me I guess).

We ate the soup with toasted french bread which was a perfect match! This was a flavorful and creamy comfort food on a cold evening!

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour

2 cans low sodium chicken broth

3 cups peeled, cubed potato

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)

1 (8 oz) block sharp Cheddar Cheese (I used a Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar), shredded

For topping

Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Fully cooked bacon pieces

Chopped green onions

Directions

Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth; set aside. In a large pot, combine the remaining chicken broth, potatoes, broccoli and onions. Bring to a broil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (around 10 minutes). Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted. Top each serving with cheese, bacon pieces and green onions.

Enjoy!