Tasty Tuesday - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is a recipe from 101cookbooks that we just tried this weekend. It was delicious! A REAL and hearty broccoli cheese soup with no processed "cheese product", made with fresh broccoli, with potatoes to thicken. No processed cheese, no flour, no corn starch, no frozen produce! It may not give you the color that you have grown to know and love from broccoli cheese soup, but it is so much heartier and full of flavor. We used a high-quality organic veggie broth, which is what made ours so dark. Heidi's picture of the soup is much more attractive than mine, I think it was just because my broth was so dark (well, that and Patrick didn't "puree" it, he more spun it). But the broth is also what made it so good. Swanson's wouldn't have done this soup justice.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups light, good-tasting vegetable broth
1 large head of broccoli (12 ounces or 3/4 lb.), cut into small florets
2/3 cup freshly grated aged Cheddar, plus more for topping
1 - 3 teaspoons whole grain mustard, to taste*
smoked paprika, more olive oil, creme fraiche (optional)

Melt the butter (or olive oil) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for a couple minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook for about four minutes, just long enough for them to soften up a bit. Uncover, stir in the garlic, then the broth. Bring to a boil, taste to make sure the potatoes are tender, and if they are stir in the broccoli. Simmer just long enough for the broccoli to get tender throughout, 2 - 4 minutes.
Immediately remove the soup from heat and puree with an immersion blender, or regular blender. (We pureed about half and left the other half chunky). Return to pot and add half the cheddar cheese and the mustard (a little bit a a time). If you are going to add any creme fraiche, this would be the time to do it. Now add more water or broth if you feel the need to thin out the soup at all. Serve sprinkled with homemade croutons, the remaining cheese, or a tiny pinch of smoked paprika.

*I did not use any mustard and it was great.