In a stockpot, saute the onion & garlic in 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil.
Add broccoli, carrots, half and half, chicken stock and seasoning to pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are done.
Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend soup to desired consistency. I like to leave a little of the broccoli and carrot bits in the soup. Caution: If using a regular blender, do it in 3-4 batches as the heat will cause the liquid to explode if too much is added at once.
Return to stockpot and stir in cheese.
To thicken, melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and stir well. Add a bit of the soup and stir to temper then add to larger pot. Let simmer about 5-10 minutes or until it thickens slightly.Note: If the soup is a little too thick, thin it with additional chicken stock.
Serve garnished with a sprinkling of cheese and some crumbled bacon, if desired.
Notes
Lifestyle OptionsDairy-free - Exchange the half and half for a dairy-free alternative milk like cashew or oat and the cheddar cheese for a vegan variety (Parmela Shreds has a cashew-based cheddar variety).Gluten-free - make sure that the chicken stock is gluten-free and replace the flour with cornstarch for thickening.Keto/Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup - opt for heavy cream in lieu of non-fat half and half and regular cheddar cheese as well as 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese to help thicken the soup base. If the soup still needs thickening, add ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. You can also up the protein with the addition of bacon, ham or chicken.Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Substitute vegetable broth for chicken stock, a non-dairy milk for the half and half and ¼ cup nutritional yeast and ½ cup soaked raw cashews for the cheese. Vegetarian - substitute vegetable broth for the chicken stock.