Roasted Garlic Broccoli Cheese Soup

We are currently on the red eye flight to Andrew's parent's house in Connecticut (hello, ZzzQuil) to spend Christmas with his family and friends. His mom hosts a Christmas eve party every year where she serves up lots of soup, bread, and drinks. Lots of drinks. This is an ode to the Johansen family, which I cannot wait to officially be a part of (wedding date still to be determined)! I made this soup last week when temps were pretty cold by Arizona standards, 45 degrees to be exact. It was the perfect way to warm up and fill up on a chilly night. Pair it with a nice glass of wine and call it a night! Merry Christmas Eve to all! 

Roasted Garlic Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves unpeeled garlic
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast unpeeled garlic cloves for 40 minutes, until soft. Once coked, squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel using a flat knife. Save the roasted garlic for the cheese sauce and discard the peel.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Add in the onion, rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes until the onions are cooked through. Add if the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add in the broccoli and cover, cooking for 15 minutes until the broccoli is softened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while you make the cheese sauce.

In a medium pot, heat the butter over medium heat and then whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking continuously for 1 minute to cook out the flour taste. While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk, creating a roux. Once the mixture has thickened slightly, all the while still whisking, add in the shredded cheddar, nutmeg, and the roasted garlic. Remove from the heat and stir until the cheese is completely melted into the milk mixture. Set aside.

Add the cooked broccoli mixture to a blender (in batches if your blender is on the smaller side), and blend until only small chunks of broccoli remain, or completely smooth if you prefer. Pour the pureed broccoli back into the soup pot, and add in the cheese sauce. Mix well and season with salt and pepper before serving hot.