Broccoli and Pepper Jack Cheese Soup

On my way to 100 recipes in 100 days.  Here is recipe 38: Broccoli and Pepper Jack Cheese Soup!

My husband went out to lunch with a friend a few weeks ago and had broccoli cheese soup.  He said it was amazing and that it was made with pepper jack cheese.  Challenge accepted.  I HAD to replicate that recipe.  I wanted to surprise him, and he eagerly ate his whole bowl and proclaimed that it was definitely as good as the restaurant.  I thanked him for keeping my self-esteem so high.

I used The Pioneer Woman's Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe as a base and adjusted per her recommendations to make it to my taste specifications.  Ree Drummond has it down when it comes to delicious things in the kitchen

“Hello, you saucy bowl of delicious goodness.  Join me for dinner, won’t you?”

Broccoli and Pepper Jack Cheese Soup

onion, diced

butter

flour

whole milk

half-and-half

broccoli, cut into florets

nutmeg

grated pepper jack cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken broth

1. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over top and stir.  Cook for 1 more minute.

2. Add in milk and half-and-half.  Add the nutmeg, broccoli, and a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes until the broccoli is tender.

4. Transfer hot soup to a large blender and puree just for a moment.  Transfer back to pot and continue to heat.  Stir in chicken broth.

5. Stir in cheese until melted and serve in a large bowl or bread bowl.  Add more salt and pepper as needed.

* You can skip the blending part if you would rather mash the broccoli pieces or if you prefer a thinner soup and large pieces of broccoli.  If you do this, you may consider leaving out the chicken broth altogether.*

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