Broccoli cheese soup

Normally I am not a huge fan of creamy soups. I don't really know why other than I don't like milk. This recipe is great because it makes a really creamy, thick soup without using any milk at all (dairy yes, milk no), which also means that you don't have to be quite as careful about the soup breaking or separating. I like my soup mostly pureed with a good handful of broccoli florets still whole but you could easily leave it chunky or puree the whole thing. If you puree the whole thing yours will be really green instead of yellow-ish though.

Ingredients:

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 head broccoli, cut into florets (I used a large broccoli crown for this)

1/2 onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons butter

3 rounded tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/3 cup white wine (or beer if you like that flavor better)

3 cups veggie stock, warmed slightly

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 generous dashes cayenne pepper (adjust to your preference)

4-5 cracks black pepper

3 tablespoons cream cheese

1/2 block of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt

pepper

Directions:

Combine carrot, celery, and broccoli in a large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain and pull out about half of the broccoli to save for later. Transfer the rest of the boiled veggies to a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender right in the pot) to blend up the veggies until mostly smooth. Save for later. In the same pot (that you've now emptied) combine onion and butter and cook on medium-low for 1-2 minutes or until the onions are fragrant and starting to soften. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the mustard and stir, then add the wine and whisk like crazy until it is absorbed and thick. Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the warm veggie stock, stirring constantly so that it gets thick and smooth. Once all the clumps are whisked out cook the mixture for 10-20 minutes over medium-high heat until it is the thickness you want. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once the mixture is thick and bubbly, turn the heat down to low and whisk in the cream cheese, stir until no clumps remain then add garlic, cayenne, and pepper. Add cheddar and parmesan and stir until melted. Once melted, stir in your pureed vegetables as well as your whole florets of broccoli. Keep on low heat for a few minutes to warm everything up again. Season with salt and pepper.