Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Whenever I ask John if there is something specific he wants me to make for dinner he says no. In the 3 years we have been living together I think he has requested two or three things total. So you can imagine my shock when he requested broccoli and cheese soup. I have had this Cooking Light recipe bookmarked on my computer for a long time (like over a year long!) but finally had a reason to make it.

This was really very good. It was creamy without being rich, if that makes sense. I used broccoli cuts because it was what I had on hand. After blending the broccoli in the blender though it broke up nicely and didn't seem to matter that I hadn't used florets. Overall I would definitely make this recipe again.

As usual, I halved this recipe. 1/2 made enough for John and I plus some left overs. I served this soup with fresh cornbread... yum!

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

Directions:
1- Heat the skillet with cooking spray. Add the onion and garlic, saute until tender.
2- Add the broth and broccoli- heat until just boiling. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.
3- In a separate bowl whisk the flour and milk. Add that into the broth. Cook until the soup thickens. Add the black pepper.
4- Add in the cheese. Stir until smooth. Spoon some of the soup (the recipe calls for 1/3 but I used over 1/2) into the blender and blend until smooth. Then return it the pot.