Broccoli Cheese Soup

My daughter Emily serves up some yummy hot soup!

Here's a quick and delicious soup that can be made mostly from your pantry. The only thing fresh you need is broccoli and cheese.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
4 cup diced broccoli
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried onions
4 cups chicken broth
scant 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 and 1/8 cup non-instant dry milk powder (or 2 cups instant dry milk)
3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli in 2 cups water with onions and spices until tender. Put 4 cups of broth, cornstarch and dry milk powder into a blender and blend until smooth. Add to broccoli and cook until thick. Stir in 2 cups cheese and transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the soup. Serves 6. Yummy, filling, easy!

Baked potato topping:
Don't add the cheese to soup, but serve the soup as a thick gravy over a baked potato, topping with grated cheese.

Company dinner:
You can make this into a gourmet main dish by adding grilled chicken cubes and serving over brown rice.

Brown rice is delicious and very healthy. When I cook brown rice, I measure 2 cups of water (or broth) for every cup of rice. Then I shake some wild rice in, for a gourmet touch: 1/4 to 1/2 cup is just right. I also add a few tablespoons dried onions, dried diced carrots, and dried parsley. This makes the rice colorful and tasty. 1 cup of brown rice plus 2 cups liquid and about 40 minutes cooking time will give you 3 cups of moist brown rice. Don't take the lid off. Just cook over medium heat until the rice absorbs the water and is tender. Ummm, perfect!

Enjoy!