Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Woohoo!!!  We've got a nice, rainy, cool, fall day here today!  I love days like this as long as I don't have to go out in them.   The BEST part of all though is that it is SOUP WEATHER!  A steaming hot bowl of soup just isn't as appetizing in 90 degree weather as it is on days like today.

My friend Cherise gave me this recipe several years ago.  We were driving truck in Spud Harvest together (that's potato harvest for those of you outside of potato country ;) ) and she brought me a warm bowl of this soup one evening.  SO GOOD! Every time I fix this I can almost SMELL that good, Idaho, potato dirt.  This soup is NOT like a cheesy CREAM of Broccoli soup.  No cream added to it at all. (not counting the butter).  It also has veggies other than broccoli. The sauce is smooth and rich.  Tonight we're having it with a freshly made loaf of French Bread.  It's a great soup to dip bread in. (sort of like a thin cheese fondue with veggie chunks LOL )

This recipe makes about 4 quarts of soup or so.  It could easily be cut in half if you're feeding a smaller group and don't want leftovers.  I've never tried freezing it, but I THINK it would thaw & reheat pretty well.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

2 C. carrots, diced

3 large celery stalks sliced or diced

1 onion, diced

1 bunch of fresh broccoli, broken into bite size pieces

5 chicken bouillon cubes or 5 tsp. of granules

Put into large pot, barely cover with water, bring to a boil & then simmer until tender.  Drain - reserving liquid.  

In that same large pot, (vegetables are set aside), make a roux by melting 1 1/2 C. margarine or butter and then adding 1 1/2 C. flour.  Stir together over medium heat until bubbly.  Measure the reserved liquid from the vegetables and add enough water to make 10 cups.  Add this to the roux, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth.  Add 1 lb of cubed Velveeta and stir over low heat until the Velveeta melts.  Add cooked vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste.   (I like only a sprinkle of salt in this as the bouillon and cheese are salty)

Joy's Notes:  This soup isn't super thick.  If you like it thicker, add another 1/4 C. of flour when making the roux.  I don't usually care for processed cheese, but I really like it in this soup!