Lactose Free Cream of Broccoli Soup

I love cream of broccoli soup but milk does not love me.  I have been lactose intolerant for many years now and I also have a slight milk allergy.  Every time I go to a wedding or retirement party, that seems to be the soup of choice, I have to pass it up.  Well, not this time, I decided to make my own with a recipe from Cooking Light and milk from Smart Balance.

I used Smart Balance fat free lactose free milk because it has Omega 3 fats.  The Omega 3 EPA/DHA as one of its ingredients makes the milk creamier in texture.  My husband likes it because he doesn't like skim milk but Smart Balance tastes like 2% milk. Check out their products here: http://www.smartbalance.com/products/milks

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

• Cooking spray 
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets 
• 2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light) 
• or any low-fat cheese of your choice or no cheese

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
2. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
3. Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Cooking Light 
JANUARY 2002

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-cheese-soup-10000000231619/