1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart half and half
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 cups broccoli florets
2 cups shredded carrots
8 oz. sharp yellow cheddar cheese
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese
8 oz. smoked Gouda cheese
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste

Start by filling a stock or steaming pot with enough water to steam the broccoli. Bring water to a boil, place broccoli florets on a steaming basket in the pot, cover and steam for roughly eight minutes or until tender.

While broccoli is steaming in another 8-quart stockpot melt the salted butter over a medium heat, be careful to not let the butter burn. Once the butter has melted whisk in 1/4 cup a flour and whisk until smooth. Once smooth add the chicken stock, half and half, and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Turn heat up to high and whisk consistently while bringing mixture to a boil.

Once boiling return heat to medium or medium low and stir in cheeses. Stir cheeses until melted. Once cheeses are incorporated into soup mixture stir in steamed broccoli florets and shredded carrots. Cook soup again stirring or whisking often to avoid flour and or cheeses from settling and burning on the bottom of the pot. Cook until carrots are tender. Once carrots are tender remove soup from the heat.

Using an immersion blender blend soup until smooth. You will still have some small pieces of carrot. If you do not own an immersion blender you can transfer the soup into a convention blender and blend in there.

NOTE: If using a conventional blender be sure not to fill the blender more than 3/4 full at a time and hold the top of the blender down with your hand when you turn it on or I will promise you that you will end up with hot soup all over the place.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Submitted by: Nate