First soup of the year

I first saw this recipe on Annie's Eats a few months ago and thought that it looked wonderful. Then Sugar & Spice made it and I knew I would have to make it soon because it just looked that good. Tonight was my monthly scrapbooking night and when we were deciding on what to eat something warm and comforting sounded good. I remembered that my mother-in-law loves potato soup so I e-mailed her the recipe and she pretty much said we had to have it. :)

Everyone really enjoyed this soup, it is slightly creamy and perfectly cheesy. I did add a dash of; salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper just to make sure there was no lack of flavoring. I will defiantly be making this again.


Baked Potato-and-Broccoli Soup
(Source: MyRecipes.com via Southern Living Magazine; Jan 2006)

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces
7 teaspoons chopped green onions

Preparation
Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.
Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Note - We recommend freshly shredded cheese (versus the preshredded variety) for additional creaminess and even melting.

Yield - Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (serving size: 1 cup)