Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Despite a few warmer days (we're in the 30's!), winter is still here.  And while that's the case soup is still on!  I was surprised to find a cheese soup for under 200 calories a bowl.  Granted, it's not REALLY a cheese soup like Panera's Broccoli Cheddar, but it's close enough for me.


INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  

- Trick I learned the hard way- take your pot off the heat before adding dairy products!- otherwise you'll get gritty soup!-

Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

VERDICT

Get out the tupperware containers- this makes a lot of soup!  It reheats well and is a great light lunch, not to mention a great dinner with the addition of some fresh Italian bread.

NUTRTION

So.... I used the recipe database on myfitnesspal.com to get the calorie count.  If you use the allrecipes.com version of this recipe, it's 180 calories a cup.  But if you use this recipe that came from Pinterest.... I have no idea.  Let's just call it 180.