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A wonderfully tasty soup from Bethany Gronberg, Omaha native, created on a snowy day in Virginia Beach in anticipation of watching Nebraska and Miami in the 2001 Rose Bowl National Championship (alas, those cornhuskers were crushed). It's rich and creamy, very stick to the ribs, perfect for a snowy day. Serve hot to 4-6 people as a substantial first course--or as a meal with a sandwich or salad on the side.

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups broccoli, peeled and chopped into bitesize pieces
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: finely sliced green leek rounds and 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the leek is soft. Pour in the stock, add potatoes and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Scrape in the broccoli, return to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove bay leaf and puree about half the solids with the liquid in a blender. (Bethany prefers pureeing the whole thing, but I like the color and texture of some potato and broccoli chunks--you decide!). Return to the pot, stir in the milk, and heat over medium, stirring, until it's just barely bubbling. At this point, you can take off the flame until you're ready to serve.

When ready to serve, bring the soup to a bubble, stir in the cheese until it's melted, season to taste (may already have enough salt from the stock and cheese), and ladle into bowls, sprinkling with a bit of grated cheese and topped with a few leek circles.