Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Soup

You can serve this straight as a soup, but I always serve it over rice. It could also be served over pasta. This soup is vegetarian as it is, but you can add sliced kielbasa, chicken, shrimp, or whatever you like! This is a very versatile soup, and delicious!

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6-8

Prep Time: 30 minutes   Cook Time: 1-2 hours  

Ingredients

4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
10 ounces chopped broccoli
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
ground black pepper (LOTS)
6 cups milk
8 – 12 ounces Velveeta (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic salt (or to taste)
1 – 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Boil the diced potatoes till soft, drain. While boiling the potatoes, I go ahead and put the frozen chopped broccoli in a medium-size slow cooker on High and start defrosting it right in the crock.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add flour and stir to make a roux. I start adding pepper now. Probably altogether, I use about a tablespoon of pepper, but I add it as I go, testing. Start adding the milk, a cup at a time, and stirring to make a smooth sauce. I add the first four cups in the skillet and bring it to a simmer to thicken, adding the cheese to melt. (I go with 12 ounces. You can use 8 ounces. Or 4. Or none. This soup is good without cheese at all.) Once the cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened, remove the skillet from the heat.

Add the potatoes to the slow cooker along with the sauce. Add two more cups of milk along with the garlic salt and crushed red pepper. Season to taste. Slow cook on High until everything is piping hot then keep on Low until ready to serve.

Categories: Cream Soups, Kid-Friendly, Soups & Stews, Special Diets, Vegetarian

Submitted by: suzanne-mcminn on January 16, 2014