Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Soup

• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

½ cup butter

1 cup flour

8 cups chicken broth

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces)

2 heads fresh broccoli ((or 2 bags of frozen broccoli))

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

a couple shakes of hot sauce (optional)

1 cup milk

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic over medium high heat until tender (just a couple of minutes).

2. Add butter and flour, lower heat to medium, and cook until roux is bubbly and starting to brown.

3. Pour roux into a large stock pot and add chicken broth, stirring the entire time you add the broth to prevent lumps.

4. Add chicken, broccoli, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce to stock pot and cook for about 35-40 minutes (less if using frozen broccoli).

5. Stir in cheese and milk until cheese is fully melted.

6. Serve.

Notes

• Tyler prefers this as a side dish, not an entree

• Serve with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches or garlic bread

• This makes a TON

Nutrition

• Calories: 630 kcal
• Total Fat: 37 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 170 mg
• Sodium: 2044 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 27 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 49 g