4 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
4 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 large head of broccoli
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, peeled and diced
White pepper
2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
In a large saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery and gently sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add the flour and cook an additional 4 minutes.
Add the cream in slowly, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated.
Add the vegetable stock and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cut the stem off the broccoli and peel it before dicing it the same size as the carrot and celery.
Also cut the florets down small.
Once the soup is simmering, reduce the heat to medium low and cook about 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
Add the broccoli and cook an additional 20 minutes, until tender.
Remove the bay leaves using an immersion blender, roughly blend the soup, leaving some pieces of vegetables.
Taste and season with white pepper.
Add the cheese and stir until just melted.
Taste again and add salt if necessary.
Serve immediately.