broccoli and cheese soup

I made this recipe tonight for my kids.  One of them LOVED it, the other ate his serving with a little prodding.  It is adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light:  the Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook.  I served it with Cheese-Garlic Biscuits. 


broccoli and cheese soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup roughly chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
16 oz frozen broccoli

2 1/2 cups milk
1/6 cup (scant 1/4 cup) cornstarch OR 1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz processed American cheese, cubed (I used 10 slices of wrapped American cheese)

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender.  Add broth and broccoli and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 6 minutes or until broccoli is no longer frozen.

Pour broccoli mixture into a blender or food processor and blend/process for about 15 seconds.  Return to soup pot.

In a medium mixing bowl combine milk and cornstarch (or flour) with a whisk.  Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until soup is slightly thick.  Stir in pepper.  Reduce heat to low; add cheese and stir until it melts.

Yield:  9 cups