Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Step 2

Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Step 3

Add flour to saucepan and stir until flour has soaked up all the moisture. Cook for 1 minute.

Step 4

Add stock a little at a time, mixing the soup thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients and work out any flour-onion-garlic lumps that may have formed.

Step 5

Add the milk and stir to combine.

Step 6

Bring mixture to a simmer and add broccoli. Simmer over medium heat until soup has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 7

Remove soup from heat and break up broccoli and onion chunks using an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender in small batches or use a potato masher. (I prefer the potato masher if my immersion blender isn’t handy – less mess!)

Step 8

Return soup to heat and simmer another 5 minutes or until soup has reached a “soup-y” consistency.

Step 9

Remove soup from heat and stir in shredded white cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted. Ladle into bowls (or bread bowls!), garnish with extra shredded cheddar cheese, and serve immediately.