{NON PROCESSED} Cheese & Broccoli Soup

Aka.. no Velveeta in this soup. **

Ingredients:
2 Tbs butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chunked
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
3 Tbs cornstarch
4 cups fresh broccoli, chunked in large pieces
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped small in food processor
2 cups half-n-half
2 cups water
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
dash of sea salt
dash of garlic powder
1-2 tsp of fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Saute onion and mushrooms in melted butter in large pot.  {Saute just a few minutes!}
2. Add chicken broth and 1 cup water.  Bring to boil.
3. Measure cornstarch in separate bowl. Add a little broth to cornstarch, whisk together.
4. Slowly add into pot.  Stir in broccoli and carrots.  Simmer until veggies are tender {(5 min) - no mushy broccoli! Blek}
5. Add half-n-half, 2 cups water, and cheese. Stir in spices.  Keep stirring until all cheese has melted.  {Do not boil!}
6. Serve with hearty whole grain or rye bread {or croutons, like me}.  Serves 8.

**A little note about this soup: It is wonderfully fabulous immediately after preparing.  However, reheating this soup multiple times for leftovers, makes for soft broccoli and the cheese has difficulty congealing again. I recommend finishing the pot on the first go!  :)