Vegetarian for a Week - Day 2 - Broccoli Cheese Soup

Hello everyone!

It's day two of me attempting to be a vegetarian and let me tell you one thing that I have learned so far:  It is tough being a vegetarian in a family of meat eaters!  This is how the conversation at dinner with my family went yesterday:

Them: What are you going to eat, dude?  Come eat some chicken and rice with us!
Me: No can do, that's not vegetarian.
Them: Fine, eat some of this pasta.
Me: No. :(  It has some meat in it.
Them: Come on!  It's only a little..
Me: No thanks.
Them (talking to themselves): This chicken is sooo good right?  Delicious.  So tender.  Ooooh.
(to me): Why don't you just get some salad leaves and wrap it in chicken.  You can eat that...
Me: ..........

It went on like that for a while until I took my baked sweet potato out of the oven and joined them to eat.  It was only then that they stopped pestering me about my new found eating habits. 

Actually, the above conversation was the main reason that I decided to make broccoli cheese soup for today's recipe.  You should've seen the looks on their faces when they tried some of this amazing, delicious, vegetarian dish.  Pure bliss.  Need I say more?

Okay, I do realize that this recipe isn't exactly the healthiest one out there, but in my defense, I am still getting the hang of this whole vegetarian thing.  Plus, it was just one of those days when you want to make some soup and sit by a warm fire (despite the fact that, living in SoCal, I don't exactly have a functioning fireplace) and wrap yourself up in a blanket and get this warm tingly feeling in your stomach, you know?  But I promise all the recipes to come are healthier choices that taste pretty amazing.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Adapted from Ree's Kitchen
Ingredients

1 whole onion, diced
1 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half
4 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 pinch nutmeg
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
small dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Step 1:

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.

 

Then add the onions.  Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until they start to get translucent.  This alone smells super amazing. 

Then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so.

 

Then pour in milk and half-and-half. 

Add nutmeg, then add broccoli, a small dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper.  Remember to only put a little salt because the cheese has more than enough sodium in it.

Step 2:

Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.
 

Step 3:

Taste seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash it with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer it to a blender in two batches and puree completely, or, like I did, you could blend it with a hand blender.  Ree says that if you puree it in a blender, return it to the heat and allow to heat up again before you serve it.

Done.  Super easy-peasy, eh?  Enjoy!