Sandy's Homemade Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I found many recipes for broccoli Cheddar soup. I changed many of the ingredients in those recipes. This is the recipe I came up with. It's the best one yet. You don't need all the extra ingredients to make it. Just basic ingredients. and it's delicious. I think it tastes just like Panera®.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 345 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• ¼ small onion, chopped
• 1 ¼ cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• 1 celery stalk, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat; add onion and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in flour and continue to stir until mixture turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly add half-and-half to onion mixture, stirring until mixture is smooth. Add chicken broth; season with salt and ground black pepper.

Step 2

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli, carrot, and celery. Simmer until vegetables are tender yet crisp, about 20 minutes.

Step 3

Reduce heat to low. Add Cheddar cheese to soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.