Soup Nazi

My youngest- Neil could survive on Broccoli Cheddar Soup. He would happily eat if for breakfast lunch and dinner, but it needs to be made a certain way. Even as an eleven year old, he can turn into quite a prima donna when his favorite soup is made carelessly and has absolutely no qualms about pointing out the inadequacies in great detail. There's no holding back! I tend to cook on autopilot and don't really bother with exact measurements and am more likely to simply eyeball the ingredients and it works most of the time. Not with the Broccoli Cheddar soup!

The downside is that this soup can be very calorific with cream and cheese playing an integral role in the consistency and taste. So I devised a way around this with the aid of my trusty Vitamix. A Vitamix, for those of you that haven't ever used one, is a new age blender with super powers. Its razor sharp blades have the ability to pulverize at the press of a button and within seconds. It also thickens as it purees and left on for more than five minutes actually cooks the soup to the point where it comes out steaming without overcooking. This way all the nutrients are sealed in. The secret is that I make do without the cream and nobody can tell the difference.

My recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup:

1 head of broccoli, separated

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup of 2 % milk

1 cube chicken bouillon

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

salt and white pepper to taste

1. Place the broccoli florets in a dish and microwave for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. They should be bright green and tender but not soft.

2. Heat the milk and the chicken broth separately.

3. Setting aside some of the broccoli crowns, combine the rest with the bouillon, milk and broth and blend to the desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Cut the remaining broccoli crowns into small sections. Pour the soup into individual bowls

and add in the cheddar, broccoli and grated carrots.

5. Bring to a boil or serve as is immediately.