Cream of Broccoli Soup with Bacon and Cheddar

One of my favorite soups as a kid was cream of broccoli. However, the stuff that came out of a can was filled with dark green, mushy broccoli and also full of salt. I still liked it, but once I got older and my tastes changed a bit I found that the 'mushy, salty stuff' was no longer to my liking.

This version is filled with bright green veggies and has a touch of bacon and cheddar - for good measure.

Cream of Broccoli Soup with Bacon and Cheddar
Printable Recipe
Ready in 30 minutes
Serves 6

1 large head broccoli
4 cups water
1 small onion - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
2 cups half and half or milk
6 Tablespoons butter or oil
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon - cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

1. Clean broccoli and remove florets - cutting into bite-sized pieces. Cut stems into chunks and set aside.
2. Heat water in a large pot until boiling. Drop in broccoli florets for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add broccoli stems to boiling water with garlic and onion - reduce heat to a simmer and cook until stems have softened - about 15 minutes. Remove stems to a food processor and puree until very smooth. Add back into cooking water and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard any bits of stem that are caught in the strainer.
4. Cook butter or oil and flour together briefly in the bottom of the soup pot and slowly add in broccoli mixture. Pour in milk or half and half and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
5. Once soup is properly thickened, add broccoli florets, bacon and cheddar. Heat through and season with salt and white pepper.