Broccoli Cheddar soup

OK I agree I am writing and sharing some non-Indian recipes,even though my blog says Regional cuisine . But then again my recipes are influenced by my travels/stays and the fact that I am now here for past 6 years does call for recipes which have influenced my taste buds here :)

I love cheese but my daughter loves it more :) Broccoli Cheddar soup from Panera Bread is her favorite & I wanted to surprise her today,so I made her this soup along with some biscuits which were inspired by Nancy of http://kitchengypsies.blogspot.com/  Nancy they turned out excellent and I enjoyed mine with the soup and later with my ,"Chai" It is an excellent ,easy to follow recipe :)

Manasi enjoyed her surprise and said it was as good as Panera Bread soup if not better. Yay !!!  I enjoyed using the combination of nutmeg & black pepper. The flavor and smell while it was cooking was making me hungry and the soup was so creamy and buttery. After adding grated cheddar cheese at the end .I concluded this soup with some grated  nutmeg.

BTW I am still not done with the holiday treats,I was just taking a short break from chocolate ;) Look out for some chocolate recipe tomorrow.

I have to tell you,the pictures do not do justice to either the soup or the biscuits but trust me -they taste like heaven together  :)

preparation time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 25 minutes
serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter melted
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
Milk: 2 cups
1/2 medium sized onion chopped
chicken stock or chicken bouillon: 1 cup or 1/2 a bouillon
4  pre-cut flowrets of broccoli
1 carrot diced into tiny pieces
Cheddar Cheese: 2 tbsp
nutmeg: grated a pinch or two
pepper: 1/2 a tsp
salt: To taste

Method:
Take a heavy bottomed pan and add 1 tbsp of butter and saute the chopped onion in it till it turns translucent.
In another pan,take 2 tbsp of melted butter and to this add 2 tbsp of flour.Cook this for just a minute whisking it constantly,now add milk gradually,keep whisking,we are making a white sauce here. It is also called making a roux. Add to this the chicken stock or if you are using a chicken bouillon add it now. Let this simmer for 15 minutes.

Now add the carrots,onions and broccoli and cook till the vegetable are tender. The soup by now is thick and creamy. If it is very thick ,you can add more milk or chicken stock. Now run this in a blender and back in the pot/pan and simmer it  on reduced heat for some more minutes.Now add salt & pepper and add the grated cheddar cheese stir until well blended. When the soup is done grate some nutmeg in it.

Note: The original recipe calls for half& half, I used 2%
I made chicken stalk at home (just boiled some chicken with bones  for 30 minutes and used the water) I wanted to avoid the sodium in chicken broth which is available  in stores.

I now realize the soup would have made a lovely picture had it been in a darker color bowl. My bad..I will take a picture again tomorrow with the left over & make it look as enticing as it tastes:)