Broccoli Cheddar Soup

From the garden

• 1¼ lb broccoli, florets chopped small, stems peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely grated

From the pantry

• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1½ cups milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded — shred it yourself — pre-shredded cheese melts grainy
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat and sweat the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, 5–6 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook off the raw taste — it should smell faintly nutty, not brown.
3. Whisk in the stock a splash at a time so no lumps form, then the milk and cream. Add the broccoli and carrots and simmer gently, partly covered, 15–18 minutes until the broccoli is completely tender.
4. Mash or blend about a third of the soup right in the pot (an immersion blender pulsed a few times is perfect) so it thickens but keeps plenty of texture.
5. Off the heat, stir in the Dijon, then the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding more — boiling cheese makes it grainy. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.