what's for dinner tonight {broccoli cheese soup}.

ahhhhh what a perfect fall day it was here in maine. a crisp sixty-five-degrees, a bit overcast and a few trees are already turning bright shades of brilliant red.

i'm in heaven.

fall is absolutely my favorite time of year (besides christmas) and i haven't spent one in maine in a very long time. so i am pumped. i decided the fall cooking begins now, with many soups and new crockpot recipes in the lineup.

tonight nick, bel&i had my parents over for dinner. on the menu: caesar salad, homemade biscuits and a oh-so-delish broccoli cheese soup i hadn't made in a while. i found the recipe a couple of years ago when i was pregnant with bella and we ate it probably once a week for a while it was just THAT good! it's an emeril lagasse recipe, but super easy and surprisingly not complicated. i tweaked it a bit to fit our taste (and because two of his original ingredients include white pepper and nutmeg... i usually don't have nutmeg on hand and who in the world cooks with white pepper?!)

so here it is. you need to hurry to the store to get all the ingredients because you need to try this... and you won't be sorry you did, i promise!

broccoli cheese soup

* 5 T. butter (yes, i said 5 tablespoons... just forget the amount and still make the soup)
* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 t. dried thyme
* 3 T. flour
* 3 c. chicken stock
* 1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli, thawed
* 1/2 c. heavy cream
* 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

- melt 3 of the T. butter over medium heat in a large pot. add onion, salt and pepper and cook until onions are soft.
- add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. add flour and cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly.
- slowly add chicken stock, whisking continually. bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened, about five minutes.
- add broccoli and cook until tender, about ten minutes.
- with an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, puree until smooth.
- add cream and bring to a very low simmer, just enough to heat through. add cheese, stirring until melted. finally, add final two T. of butter and stir to blend.
- ladle into bowls and enjoy :)

this is a great soup; perfect for the beginning of your fall cooking! pairs great with bread and caesar salad... one of our absolute favorite meals (you can find my biscuit recipe here).

my dad gave it a "ten" :)