mary's broccoli cheese soup

now that the weather is finally feeling like winter, i've been craving SOUP! one of my favorites is broccoli cheese soup but i was afraid it was too difficult to make at home. boy, was i wrong! after perusing many a recipe on food network, i finally one from emeril that i have modified to make it more "figure" friendly and of course, its a vegetarian version.

Mary's Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded medium cheddar

Directions

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, carrots, and the onions, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent and carrots are beginning to soften. Add the flour slowly and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 15 to 20 minutes. (to decrease this time, you can thaw out your broccoli ahead of time) Turn off the heat and break up any large pieces of broccoli with a wooden spoon. Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese a little at a time and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.