Broccoli, Cheese And Potato Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup nonfat milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
salt and fresh pepper
4 cups about 2 heads broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 slices low-fat American cheese
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Preparation

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.
In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables and saute on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.
Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.
Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.