Cheesy Broccoli Soup

I love cheesy broccoli soup. Back when I used to snowboard regularly, it was my favourite thing to eat after a day on the slopes. Perhaps not the best choice nutritionally, but man did it taste good.

Luckily for me, broccoli and several dairy products are on the beneficial list, and it's easy to healthy it up a bit. I based my recipe on the Broccoli Soup recipe at Fat Loss Quickie by Scott and Angie Toussignant.

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 large heads of broccoli, chopped (including stems)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 large stalk of celery, fine dice
1 onion, fine dice
2 tbsp almond or walnut oil
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup goat milk
1-2 oz. goat cheese
cheddar (AB) or feta (A), for topping
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil over medium heat
2. Add broccoli, celery, garlic and onion, sprinkle with salt, and saute until slightly softened.
3. Add water, cover and boil for 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Do not drain.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
5. Mix arrowroot and oil together until smooth, and add a ladleful of warm soup. This is going to create a slurry.
6. Stir slurry into hot soup, add broth, and heat to boil. Boil mixture for 1 minute while continuously stirring.
7. Add nutmeg then turn heat down to low (or off). Add milk and goat cheese and stir.
8. Remove from heat and season to taste. Serve with grated cheddar cheese or feta on sprinkled on top.