Whenever I order from a restaurant menu, and I know they are going to ask me what kind of soup I would like - I silently hope they have Broccoli Cheese on the list.  I don’t think I’m alone there - almost everyone I go with asks for it also.  Well - this recipe is head & shoulders above the best restaurant soup you’ve ever had.

If you have half an hour till dinnertime, it’s cold outside, and you haven’t come close to the recommended servings of vegetables by the end of the day - this is the right thing to serve tonight.

Have you ever felt a little shortchanged when a recipe was TOO easy?  I realize I’m obsessive/compulsive when it comes to cooking - that’s a given.  But, I’ve always believed that the amount of effort you put in should equal how amazing things turn out.  So - this recipe doesn’t fit that theory.

This calls for “Cheese Whiz” - which is the costliest ingredient.  Keep in mind that most major grocery chains  (Smith’s, Kroger, etc...) usually have their own private label for a significant cost savings.  And yes - I know the butter and processed cheese products are loaded with fat and short on nutrition.  But I call it a wash when I cancel that out with good helpings of fresh carrots & broccoli. 

When my children were small, they loved “helping” with this soup. Their favorite part was unwrapping the bouillon cubes (then licking their salty fingers)  Now I get to tediously unwrap those little beasts by myself.

I love this sprinkled with grated cheese.  It’s also great with homemade biscuits or bread, as well as any type of cracker.    

Ingredients:

2 cups carrots, cut into small chunks

4 cups broccoli, cut into small chunks and florets

4 quarts hot water

12 chicken bouillon cubes

1-1/2 cups (yes, that’s THREE cubes!) butter, melted

1-1/2 cups flour

1-16-oz jar of Cheese Whiz - OR - 16 oz of Velveeta Cheese (processed cheese food product - in a “loaf”) cubed.

Directions:

Bring water to a boil, and add bouillon cubes. 

Add carrots to broth and boil till tender (boil the carrots alone so the broccoli doesn’t disintegrate with such a long cooking time) 

Meanwhile, stir flour into melted butter to make a smooth roux. 

When carrots are tender, add broccoli florets and boil till tender crisp (the broccoli will finish cooking as it stands in the hot mixture) 

Add the roux to the boiling liquid and stir quickly till smooth and thickened. 

(Notice the little “spoon clip” safely attached to the side of my non-stick pan?  An awesome invention that eliminates lifting a stirring spoon in and out of a hot pot and dirtying up countertops.  I’m such a kitchen tool GEEK!)

Stir in Cheese Whiz or Velveeta till completely melted and incorporated. 

Cubed Velveeta - (if used in place of the Cheese Whiz) - works fine, but takes a little longer to melt and blend into the soup. 

Serve immediately.