Making Mama's Kitchen: Super Simple Broccoli Cheese Soup

Looking over my last several posts, it's not hard to see what this mama likes to cook when it's chilly... soups, stews, and more soups! With the super cold week we've been having, all I could think about was how badly I wanted a hot, creamy soup to warm me up. Here's a super simple recipe for one of my favorite soups. It's so easy to toss together, and with Mama's secret ingredient, it's packed full of nutrients. Sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Super Simple Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

- 2 (12 oz.) bags frozen broccoli
- 1 (12 oz.) bag frozen chopped onion
- 1 (32 oz.) carton chicken stock
- 2 c. low-fat milk
- 1 t. salt
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 1/2 t. nutmeg
- 16 oz. Velveeta cheese (lite, if you can find it)
- 1 c. fresh or frozen spinach, optional
- 1 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

**quick disclaimer: by all means, use fresh veggies if you have them on hand or have the time to buy/wash/chop them... this mama's been working on figuring out how to pay taxes as an employer since our nanny is considered a household employee - very time consuming, super confusing, and all around not fun! But I think I'm finally done - at least until our W-2's come and I have to do our personal taxes... *sigh* In the meantime, there's no shame in shortcut cooking, my friends!

Directions:

1. Place broccoli and onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. Pour in stock and milk.

3. Add spices and give it a good stir. Cut velveeta into chunks and add the soup. Mix a little, but don't worry, it will melt and incorporate as it cooks.

4. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. After about 4 hours on high, blend about 1/3-1/2 of the soup using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor (I used the Magic Bullet because I already had it out). This will help thicken the soup and add extra creaminess!

took about 3 batches in the MB

5. This is where I added my "secret" ingredient - chopped spinach. After blending some of the broccoli, the soup has a greenish-tint anyway, so why not sneak in a few more nutrients, right? Place about a cup of spinach in the blender, add some of the blended warm soup and blend until smooth. Pour into soup and add about a cup of shredded cheddar. Stir it up and continue to cook for at least 30 minutes longer until heated throughout and cheese is melted, then enjoy these creamy, cheesy, delicious, and nutritious soup!