There has been half a head of fancy organic local cauliflower languishing in our vegetable crisper, and we added some fancy organic local broccoli to the collection on Sunday. Since it’s a chilly 61 degrees in Los Angeles today, I’m making a broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese soup for lunch. My version will be healthy-ish, as I like to preface a meat-heavy dinner with a vegetarian lunch.

We use 1% milk, so I added a couple of tablespoons of cream for richness. You can probably skip this step if you use whole milk, or add more if you prefer a richer soup.

Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 T flour
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 cups of milk
2 cups of chicken stock
(optional) Half-and-half or heavy cream for richness
5 cups of broccoli and cauliflower florets
3/4 c (or more) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Nutmeg or mace

Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the flour stir into the butter to make a roux. Allow the flour to cook for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Add the milk, chicken stock, and cream or half-and half. Bring to a simmer, then add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

When the vegetables are soft, you can puree the soup in a blender or use a potato masher to break up the florets. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Taste and season with nutmeg or mace and black pepper. Serve with lots of Tabasco!