Kristi's Gf Super Terrific Broccoli Cheese Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 (12 ounce) bottles woodchuck hard apple cider (granny smith flavor)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups milk
• 6 garlic cloves, minced fine
• 6 ounces button mushrooms, cut in half then chopped
• 2 celery ribs, cut in medium strips then chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced smallish
• 1 large jalapeno, gutted and diced small
• 1 cup green onion, diced
• 6 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (enough that you can fill the pot, but still stir the soup! )
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water (or just enough to dissolve corn starch)
• black pepper (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• 1/2 lb aged cheddar cheese, grated fine
• 1/2 lb smoked gouda cheese, grated fine
• 1/2 lb smoked provolone cheese, grated fine

Recipe

• 1 mix cider, chicken broth, milk and garlic in a large pot (i used a 10 qt pot) and slowly bring to a simmer. put onions, mushrooms, green onion and jalapeno into the pot. simmer about 10 minutes so flavors have time to blend.
• 2 while you're simmering, get a pan big enough to hold all your broccoli. put water in it and bring it to a boil. once you have a good boil going, put all the broccoli in and cook for 2 minutes. do not over cook! broccoli will go grey really fast, you're just looking to get a bright green, which should happen almost instantly. if it's not all bright green, don't fret, it will be ok.
• 3 in a large coffee mug or bowl, mix the cornstarch and the water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. i like to use a coffee mug and a fork, but whatever works is okee dokee.
• 4 once your soup has simmered a bit, go ahead and add the cornstarch and bring it to a full boil while stirring. this will make it loads easier to thicken than if you wait until later. :) stir until you've reached something just shy of your desired consistency (the cheese will add some thickening power, too). drop the heat back to a slow simmer and add the broccoli.
• 5 with the lowest heat you can (and the soup still simmers, that is!), add the cheese, slowly, no more than a handful at a time and stir until it melts. word has it that a figure 8 is the best way to stir in cheese, but i didn't try it when i made this soup, so i don't know. be patient and work in the cheese until there isn't anymore.
• 6 with your cheese melted, season to taste. you'll probably want some black pepper and salt, paprika is good, mustard would be nice with this, too. i leave that up to you.
• 7 if/when rewarming, make sure you do it on the stovetop over med-low heat. cornstarch thickened anything doesn't like to reheat in the microwave very well. i'm not really sure why, but that's the way it is. :).