Make Ahead Creamy Broccoli Soup

I love broccoli soup.  It is my wonderful Grandma's favorite soup and I remember eating a lot of it at her house over the years.  Broccoli is so good for you, and it has such a yummy taste.  This soup is nice, because the Broccoli is definitely the star. 

The Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, finely sliced
4 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper
garnish with cheese and bacon

At Ten O'Clock
Melt the butter in a large pan.  Saute the onion and celery in the butter until soft and translucent.  Meanwhile, put the broccoli florets and the broth in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and let simmer until broccoli is cooked, about 15-20 minutes.  Do not drain. 

Once the broccoli is cooked, coarsely mash with a potato masher.  Add the celery and onions to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and whipping cream in a saucepan until steaming.  Do not boil.  While milk is heating, melt the butter in another pan.  Once melted, add the flour, stirring constantly.  Once the roux is made, add the steaming milk and cream.  Stir constantly until thickened. 

Add the while sauce to the broccoli mixture.  Stir well and season with salt and pepper. 

Before Serving
Reheat, if necesary.  Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese and crumpled bacon.

Family Approval
This was a yummy comforting soup.  Perfect for a rainy day.  Although my three year old wanted nothing to do with this soup, my husband, one year old and I loved it.  I actually doubled it, since I had a big bag of broccoli from Costco that I needed to use.  I'm really glad that I did, because after I shared the soup with my mom and grandma, it went fast.