Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We make a lot of soup around here (1-2 times per week in the cold weather months).  Sometimes I follow recipes and other times, the recipe is more like a guideline.  I received a request for our Broccoli Cheddar soup recipe so here it is (based off a Williams-Sonoma recipe).

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 heads broccoli, cut into florets

3 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

3-4 kale leaves, stalk removed and torn into small pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbs beer

6 oz Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Pargmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In large soup pot, over medium heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly colored.  

Increase heat to high, add broccoli, stock and some salt and pepper, bring to a simmer.  Cook about 5 minutes, add kale for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Either transfer mixture into blender or food processor in batches until soup is pureed or use emulsion blender to puree (got one of these for Christmas...love it).  Add beer and cheese and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and ingredients combined.  Serve with fresh baked bread and enjoy.       

How do you make broccoli soup?