Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup

Lots of ways to mix and match this one. How much liquid you add depends on how thick (or thin) you like it. 4 pints of liquid for the amount of ingredients listed gives me the consistency I like. I used pints for measure as I had a pint glass handy. The conversion is 1 pint = 2 cups. You can add more at the end of cooking if it ends up being too thick for your liking.

We prefer our soup without chunks so I use a stick blender but you could certainly just dice your potatoes up small if you do not intend to blend it.

I try to make this soup after I've made chicken stock and used the chicken for another meal. It helps to have planned meals for things like this =).

1/2-1 medium onion, diced
1-2 cloves or garlic, diced
3-4 ribs of celery, sliced thin
4-6 Tablespoons of olive oil
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and roughly cut
2 pints (4 cups) of chicken stock (or 2 bullion cubes and 2 pints of water)
1-2 pints (2-4 cups) of milk
1 16 ounce bag of frozen broccoli (you can also use fresh) optional
8 ounces of sharp cheddar (or more), shredded
1.5 tablespoons kosher salt (more to taste)
Scallions (optional)

Dice onion, celery and garlic. In a large pot, saute in olive oil on low/low-medium until soft. Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes & add to pot. I like to let them cook a little too in the oil before adding liquids. Add all liquids and salt to the pot and simmer on low/medium until potatoes are still slightly firm, 15-20 minutes or so (depends on how small you've cut them). Don't set it and forget it, the milk may cause the soup to bubble over the top of the pot and you may have to reduce your heat.

Add frozen broccoli, bring back to simmer and cook until tender (approx. 10 minutes). Allow to cool some if you intend to use an immersion (stick) blender (which is what I do) or you can smash the potatoes with a potato masher or use an electric mixer. If you intend to use a stick blender or hand held mixer, DO USE CAUTION as it will be EXTREMELY hot! Once blended, add cheese, let melt and serve. Top with sliced scallions (optional) Makes approx. 8-12 servings.

Occasionally I'll make white or brown rice and serve this over. I try to always serve it with homemade bread or muffins (herb rolls left over from Thanksgiving is what we had tonight). Yum. The soup heats up well (think lunch tomorrow), we never have enough left to freeze after leftovers the next day, but I suppose it might freeze well without cheese.