Faux Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

I'm used this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon + 1/4 cup melted butter (divided)

1⁄2 medium chopped onion

1⁄4 cup flour

2 cups half-and-half cream

2 cups chicken stock

1⁄2 lb fresh broccoli (about 3 cups), chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup carrot, julienned (I bought matchstick carrots)

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg (I didn't use this)

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)

salt and pepper

Everyone in the Pool

I didn't have half n half so I used 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup cream. I also may have accidentally used closer to 4 cups of broccoli. On the step where you add in the veggies we decided the soup was souper thick, and to cover it for the rest of the cooking time.

I may have turned the heat down too low and then forgot to recheck it, but at 20 minutes my carrots were just hot and raw, not cooked. I added a bit more fire under the pot and let it go another 10 minutes. Jeff was skeptical of the nutmeg so I left it out, but I think I will use it next time.

Once our vegetables were done we used an immersion blender for a few seconds. If you have access to one it's easier than using and washing a blender just to cream a cup of soup.

The kids didn't like it, but Jeff and I did. The leftovers reheated okay, it was even thicker the next day. We only had a tiny serving left, because I ate so much the night of that I hurt myself. I'm curious if it would freeze well, but there wasn't enough to try it with.

One thing I don't really understand in her recipe is that she sautés the onions, then takes them out of the pot for a while. That was a pain in the ass, especially because my soup pot is really heavy. If we make this again I'll be skipping that step. I don't care if the onions cook down to nothing, and they don't need to come out to make a roux. Maybe it's because she cooked the roux so long she was afraid that they'd burn? I don't know. If I experiment and find out I will let you know.

Finished Product