America's Test Kitchen Brocolli Cheese Soup

2 stick Butter, unsalted
6 cup Brocolli raw
1 cup, chopped Onions, raw
3 clove Garlic
1.5 tsp Dry Mustard (by POPEYETHETURTLE)
.25 tsp Pepper, red or cayenne
2 tsp Salt
.5 tsp Pepper, black
1 cup (8 fl oz) Water, tap
.25 tsp Baking Soda
1.5 cup Chicken stock, home-prepared
4 oz Beer IPA (typical) (by GIANT-STEPS) (optional in place of 1/2 cup of broth)
.5 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
4 oz Cheese, Boar's Head Vermont Cheddar Cheese (Yellow & White)
2 cup Spinach, fresh

For extra depth of flavor, I substitute 1/2 cup of beer for 1/2 a cup of broth.

1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
2. Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.

Serving Size: 8 oz.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user KESCHIEBEL1.