Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup – serves 6 medium portions

Not your typical broccoli soup! The best recipe I have come across!

4 T butter
1-2 well-washed leek (looks like a giant green onion), white part only, sliced
1 minced garlic clove
1 diced carrot
1 minced shallot (little funny shaped onion)
3 diced medium red potatoes, peeled if desired
4 C chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 whole bay leaf
½ t dried celery seed
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 t dried
¼ C slivered fresh basil or 2 t dried (You’ve GOT to use fresh!)
2 bunches well-washed broccoli, heads and stalks chopped
1 C all dairy heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 C + shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat. When hot, add leeks, shallots, and carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic and potatoes and cook 3 minutes.
Add stock, bay leaf, S & P, celery seed, thyme and basil. (If using fresh basil, layer leaves together, roll up tight, and cut into slivers with kitchen sheers). Bring to a boil and cook about 15 minutes on medium heat until potatoes are tender, without a lid. **Add chopped broccoli and cook another 10 minutes.
In a blender puree soup in batches and pour back into pot. Stir in the cream. Cook over low heat until heated through without boiling. Stir in cheese just before serving.

**My favorite variation:
I prefer to do the broccoli in a different way as follows: Chop the broccoli stalks into small pieces and cook with the potatoes. Chop the broccoli heads into 1 inch or smaller pieces and reserve. Cook and puree the soup as normal and when ready to serve, steam the broccoli heads until tender (about 5 minutes). Scoop a spoonful of broccoli into each bowl and serve! This is our favorite way of doing it – it has a great unique flavor this way and smoother texture. It’s great for dipping bread in too, though watch those carbs!