MMMM cheesy. Yummy, cheesy, creamy and… did I mention cheesy? Also, there’s some vegetables in there.

When I use my crockpot, I like to brown and sear things on the stove top first. Especially proteins. When I made this soup, I spent 10 minutes sautéing my base vegetables on the stove. You could probably skip that step and dump it directly into your crock pot if you prefer. I feel that you get better flavor if you can brown your base on the stove first.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 cup chopped broccoli stems
3 large cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
6 cups broccoli tops
3-4 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons salt
25 grinds from a pepper grinder
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Sautee onion, carrots, bell pepper and broccoli stems over medium high heat in hot oil, for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown. Add garlic and stir. Cook 2-3 more minutes and remove from heat.

Add vegetables to crock pot. Add heavy cream, cheese, salt, pepper and thyme. Stir gently with a spatula. Add broccoli tops. Cover with vegetable broth.

Set crock pot for 3-4 hours on high. Stir about halfway through the cook time to help evenly distribute cheese. Stir again immediately before serving.

Enjoy!
~Amelia