This soup is a bit lighter than the usual broccoli cheese soup. It is a forgiving recipe, in that you can use all broccoli, all cauliflower, or any combination of the two. You can use thawed frozen veggies instead of steaming raw ones. I like to add a summer squash (or zucchini) at the beginning with the onions, to add some more veggie nutrition – it almost melts into the soup, so kids don’t really notice it.

5 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower
2 cups half & half or milk
¼ cup flour
4 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, grated
1 Summer squash, grated
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
½ onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Sunny Paris blend
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (use vegetarian if you prefer)
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

In large saucepan, cook onion, garlic, and summer squash in butter over medium heat until tender; stir in flour. Saute for 1 minute.

Gradually stir in broth, then broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and Worcestershire sauce.

Over medium heat, cook and stir until thickened and broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.

Add cheese and half & half or milk. Cook and stir until cheese melts and soup is hot (Don’t boil, it will separate).

Notes –
* If you would like a richer soup, reduce the broth by a cup, and increase the half&half by a cup.
* Instead of Sunny Paris blend, you can use Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will taste good