Beer Cheese Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 2 crowns of broccoli -steamed and trimmed into bite size pieces
• 4 T. butter
• 4 T. flour
• 1 block of cream cheese
• 8 oz. of sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 c. to 12 oz. of pilsner-style beer (or chicken/veg. stock as a substitute)

Directions

1. Trim broccoli and steam in microwave or stove top until fork tender. I like the microwave method. I add the broccoli and about 1/4 c. water to a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 2 min. increments over and over until fork tender. 

2. In a large sauce pan or stock pot melt butter on med-low heat. Then add flour to butter to make a paste.

3. Next melt cream cheese into the flour-butter (roux). Then melt the cheddar cheese into the sauce. You will be doing a lot of stirring!

4. Next add the beer or stock and keep stirring until well incorporated. A full 12 oz. of beer will yield a very yeasty tasting soup (YUM!), if that's not your thing back it off to a cup of beer or use stock.

5. If you want a chunkier soup, cut the broccoli to bite size pieces and mix into the sauce. If you want a smooth soup, add the broccoli and use an immersion blender to smooth the soup to the desired texture.