Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

I am LOVING this cooler weather and trying some new soup recipes for the winter.  I had the best Broccoli Cheese Soup at Pita Jungle awhile back and I have been on a mission to find a recipe that could compare.  I whipped this up for dinner a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised how yummy it turned out!
Nutrition tips:  My quest for nutritional enlightenment is never ending and I am constantly reading books, magazines, news articles, and websites to further my knowledge.  Since this is also a spiritual journey for me, it is fitting that probably my favorite source of inspiration is the Word of Wisdom Living blog.  My friends over at Please Hold the Onions posted about it awhile back, but it wasn't until recently that I really began to read it.  I would recommend it to everyone interested in health.  He is one smart man who has read countless nutrition books, and he goes really deep sometimes but try to stay with him.  He takes his knowledge and then applies scripture to write his posts.  I love how he breaks everything down into making one healthy change a week and then adding another one when you are ready.
Anyways, a growing amount of recent research shows the importance of eating your cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) because they are thought to be very protective of cancer.  Therefore, I have been making sure they are on our menu multiple times a week!  Luckily, this little one cannot get enough and tries to steal the broccoli from me before I can get it cooked.  That's okay though, raw food can be even better!

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
adapted from Panera Bread
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/8 cup melted butter + 1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups fresh broccoli
2 cups cauliflower
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
PREPARATION:
Saute onion in olive oil. Set aside. Cook melted butter/oil and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the milk (this is called making a roux). Add the broth whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. (This gives it that smooth consistency.)  Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.
Someday I will get better at taking my own pictures, but for now this one looks yummy.  (As does this newly discovered website… foodformyfamily.com.)

Enjoy!!