Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is the soup I made before going in for my C-section with my second baby.  I had had one previous C-section and knew the horrors of the hospital liquid diet.  I wanted to prepare this time around so I didn't die of starvation and blandness.  This soup is chock-full of vegetables and flavour.  Very comforting whether you've just had surgery or not.  Serve along side my cheese biscuits (although not if you're on a liquid diet ;).  Thankfully, my nurse allowed my husband to bring in my soup (which I had made sure to puree properly as to qualify as "liquid") and I lived on this soup for a couple of days.  Even after they put me on regular food, I still continued to supplement my meals with this soup because one cannot live on hospital food alone!

Source: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/12/creamy-broccoli-cheddar-soup.html

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 cups chicken stock
1 lb. (16 oz.) fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1 cup grated carrot
Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

Directions:

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup butter and flour, whisking for 3-5 minutes to create a roux. Whisk while adding the milk and chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the broccoli florets and grated carrot. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and pulse with an immersion blender until smooth. Or, puree the soup in batches in a food processor until smooth, adding mixture back to the pot.

Return pot to low heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve.