Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

It can be so tempting to depend on canned soups for quick meals but making soup from scratch is a lot easier and faster than it seems.  Our recipe for broccoli cheddar soup below is ready in half an hour.  To save even more time, all of the vegetables can be grated in a processor instead of diced by hand.  Single servings can be kept in the freezer and reheated later for super fast meals.

Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium sized carrot, diced

1 large bunch of broccoli with stems, diced

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon oregano (optional)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sweat the onion, celery, carrot, and broccoli in the oil for about 5 minutes (add some of the salt here, too).  Add the flour and let it cook for just a minute, then add the garlic and oregano.  Add the broth and stir really well.  Cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.  Turn off the heat, puree the soup then add in the milk and cheese.  Stir until it is all melted (turn back on low heat in order to melt the cheese if you need to) then add the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.