Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Soup

Broccoli, Bacon & Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 4 -5 c broccoli florets
• 5 slices of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 1/2 c - 3 1/2 c shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend)
• 2 c whole milk
• 1 c half and half
• 3 Tbls flour
• 2 Tbls butter
• 1 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• To start, slice some bacon into small pieces.
• Saute the bacon in a large, deep skillet until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve 2 Tbls of bacon drippings and remove the rest.
• Dice up the onion and shallot. I ended up with about 1 cup total.
• Add the butter to the bacon drippings and let it melt. Add in the onion and shallot.
• Cook for several minutes until translucent.
• Add the flour and combine well. Let this cook for a minute or two to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Add in the chopped broccoli and remaining ingredients except for the cheese.
• Let the soup come to a simmer and then cover with a lid.
• The soup needs to simmer for about 25-30 minutes - just until the broccoli is nice and tender.
• Go ahead and turn the heat off. Now comes some more delicious flavor - the CHEESE! Depending on how ooey-gooey you like your soup to be you can add in more. I'd suggest starting with 2 cups and then adding in 1/2 cup increments till you reach your desired cheesiness. Mix the cheese in until it's melted into the soup.
• If you like your soup chunky, you're done! If you like a more creamy, consistent texture, use an immersion blender of a blender to get your desired consistency. I used my blender and did it in two batches.