Food: Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup

This soup has about 250 calories per 1 cup serving (before the cheese topping), is filling and healthy. It is slightly adapted from a Moosewood recipe. It would be best served with some sourdough bread if that is in your calorie budget/food plan.

2 tbsp butter
1½ cup onion, chopped
1 waxy yellow potato, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cups broccoli, chopped plus 1 cup florets rough chopped and steamed
2½ cups veggie stock or water
2 cups 1% milk
½ cup fromage blanc
pinch nutmeg, pinch cayenne
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
salt and pepper to season
Optional toppings:  grated cheddar, scallions, fromage blanc, etc.

Melt butter in large pot,  sauté onion and bay leaf with salt over medium heat until onion is clear. Add bell pepper, broccoli, potato, and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is well cooked. Discard the bay leaf and purée the soup in batches, adding cheese into the blender at the end. Stir in fromage blanc and spices, bring almost to a boil, top with optional florets (plus cheese or other toppings), and serve.