Broccoli Cheese Soup

I stumbled across a copy of Eating Well magazine during my recent doctor's visit. I'd never heard of the mag but it had some good looking food in it. I checked out their website and found this recipe for broccoli cheese chowder. I love a good broccoli cheese soup and was skeptical that a healthy version would be good. I was very surprised by how tasty this soup is. It has that delicious rich taste of broccoli and cheese soup and is very filling. Would be excellent with some crusty homemade bread. I confess I used real cheddar not reduced fat because that's what I had on hand and I don't care for reduced fat cheese. According to my calculations, that adds 20 calories per serving.



Broccoli-Cheese Chowder
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/broccoli_cheese_chowder.html


6 servings, 1 cup each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
•1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 large carrot, diced
•2 stalks celery, diced
•1 large potato, peeled and diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
•8 ounces broccoli crowns, (see Ingredient Note), cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
•1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
•1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2.Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.

3.Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Nutrition
Per serving : 205 Calories; 9 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 21 mg Cholesterol; 23 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 508 mg Sodium; 436 mg Potassium



Tips & Notes
•Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
•Ingredient note: Most supermarkets sell broccoli crowns, which are the tops of the bunches, with the stalks cut off. Although crowns are more expensive than entire bunches, they are convenient and there is considerably less wa