Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Hey y’all! It was freezing and raining here with sleet today, and all I wanted was to warm up with some of my mom’s Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup! I thought we were passed all of this cold weather, but this week has been chillllll-eeeee! Brrrrrr.

Knox and I are leaving next Friday for Florida, and I can’t wait for sand, suntans and flip flops! I am chaperoning six college girls on their spring break and we are so excited (not to mention crazy)! To think of myself as a chaperone now, makes me feel so old, but at least they think I’m “cool” enough to join them! Or, they just desperately needed a warm body over 25 to rent the condo, but I just choose to believe the former! Either way, 30A is calling my name L O U D L Y, so I can trade in soup and sweaters for swimsuits and seafood.

This soup my mom makes is amazing and so unique. It has a secret ingredient that you would never think to include, which adds the perfect kick to an otherwise semi-boring dish. I grew up loving Broccoli Cheese soup and ordered it almost every,time we went to the restaurant Chili’s, because I loved theirs so much. I know, a kid who loves broccoli, go figure. I have never claimed to be normal that much is true!!!  My bestie and I growing up even gave ourselves nicknames and it referenced the soup that I loved so much and how two things go together perfectly (cute, right?!). I was broccoli and Kelly was cheese.

Point made. I heart broccoli. I heart this soup and I hope you do, too!

Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons cornstarch (I use organic cornstarch, due to GMO’s – you can find it at your local grocery in the same section just look for NON GMO)

1/4 cup cold water

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (convenient 32 ounce box is exact measurement)

1 (10 ounce) can Ro-Tel (you can use mild if you do not want it too spicy)

1 (10 ounce) box of frozen broccoli cuts (cut larger pieces into bite size)

1 (8 ounce) package Velveeta cheese, cubed (you can use 2%)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and set aside.

In a large saucepan, over high heat, combine chicken broth and Ro-Tel and bring to a simmer.

Add broccoli and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).

Reduce heat to low.

Add cheese and stir until melted.

Slowly add the cornstarch and cook until soup is slightly thickened, stirring frequently.

You can always omit the Ro-Tel if you don’t want any spice, but my motto is always to live life with a little spice!

Enjoy!!!