Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 lb fresh broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed

Instructions:

  1. Place the butter, diced onion, minced garlic, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the slow cooker. Stir in half of the broccoli florets.
  2. Set the slow cooker to Low for 3 hours (or High for 1.5 hours) until the broccoli is tender and the broth is fragrant.
  3. For a cafe-style texture, use an immersion blender to lightly pulse the soup until about 50% of the broccoli is incorporated into the liquid. Stir in the remaining fresh broccoli florets.
  4. Stir in the cubed cream cheese and heavy cream. Turn the slow cooker to High for 30 minutes.
  5. Fold in the freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted and the soup is mahogany-gold.