Easy and Quick Potato, Broccoli & Cheese Soup

I'm a little bit of a recipe hoarder and was rifling through a BIG binder of recipes I've collected over the years looking for an apple crisp recipe. I'm sure you all have a folder, drawer or box that you keep recipes in also, one you've been meaning to organize and throw out recipes you don't like. yeah, I've been meaning to do that also. I didn't find the one I was looking for but I did find this one for a tasty potato, broccoli and cheddar soup that, with a few tweaks, is not that bad for you. Also - the ingredient amounts are suggestions, based on your preference, feel free to tweak. Making soup is not an exact science.

Easy (and quick) Potato, Broccoli, Cheese Soup
4 servings worth (feeds 4 very hungry people)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
• OR
• 1 bullion cube of chicken stock and 4 cups water
• 4 cups broccoli - diced
• 1 cup carrots - diced
• 1 cup celery - diced
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups frozen potato hash/homefries
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup milk
• 7 oz of cheese (I used low-fat cheddar chunks)

Steps:

1. Get a nice big pot, put the sucker on the stove and add in your liquid (chicken stock or water and bullion cube)
2. Add in the broccoli, carrots, celery, potatoes, salt and pepper
3. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at a nice slow but steady boil
4. Combine the milk and flour so they are nicely mixed together - this makes it nice and creamy. Add to the soup, stirring the entire time to thicken the soup.
5. Add in the chunks of cheese - so they melt as you add them, keep on mixing.
6. Let that sit for another 5-7 minutes
7. You can either eat it at this point, or I used my new immersion blender to mix it up just a bit, still leaving a few good chunks of veggies.
8. This would be very tasty served with some crusty bread.