Another Creamy Soup?!

I have been on a creamy soup roll. I don't even like creamy soup all that much, but for whatever reason, they have been making my mouth happy recently. Maybe it was just a reconnection with my immersion blender, and the fact that is is an incredibly simple, delicious way to use up leftovers or dying produce. This creamy soup was inspired by Tigers and Strawberries, a beautiful Ohio blog by Barbara. She might know more about different Asian cuisines than anyone else I have come across. And she also might know more about the Appalachian hillbilly approach to food than anyone else I have come across (and I mean that in a completely complimentary way - she frequently refers to her hillbilly roots). She frequently refers to her childhood in the Appalachian hills, where food was homegrown and homemade. If I had to guess, I would say this soup is an amalgamation of her childhood experiences and foodie sensibilities. A hearty broccoli, potato and onion base is emulsified using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, at which point you add in all your fabulous cheese odds and ends. Lastly you toss in some broccoli florets and you are left with some delicious Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup.

This is right before I added the broccoli florets in,
I didn't take any pictures of the final product... oops.

I especially like visiting Tigers & Strawberries because there are always ideas for using up the leftover bits that we all have languishing in our refrigerator. I am not a leftover person, so I have to find new, creative ways to use up what might otherwise be construed as a leftover. In this soup I was able to use up a variety of sad produce like potatoes that were sending up sprouts, some broccoli that was starting to look a little wan, some carrots that were going a tad soft, and even a stray sweet potato that needed a home. Basically I followed Barbara's suggestion that you could take her recipe and add and subtract to fit your ingredients. I only had 3 small potatoes so I decided to add in the lonely sweet potato to increase the creaminess. I figured a carrot wouldn't hurt anything, so I added it in to the creamed base. My cheeses were found in the back of my meat drawer, some moldier than others. I used a mixture of smoked provolone, cheddar and even a little nub of -gasp- velveeta. I definitely followed Barbara's recommendation of adding your cheeses while your immersion blender is working - I was so impressed at how quickly the cheeses melted. It also made the soup so much creamier than it would have normally been! Definitely check out Tigers & Strawberries for her Broccoli Soup recipe, more brilliant tips and delicious recipes.