Melt the butter in a medium or large cooking pot. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the flour and mix it until it's completely incorporated. Cook it for about a minute to get the raw flour taste cooked out.

Add the chicken broth and the half n half, mixing until it's smooth. Add the bay leaf and the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the soup has thickened. Discard the bay leaf.

Add the broccoli and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the broccoli is tender too.

Add the cheese to the soup and mix it until it melts.

Pulse the soup in a blender in batches until it is the consistency that you like; you can make it completely smooth or chunky. I like to set aside some of the cooked broccoli florets to add to the soup.

Cut a circle off the top of some small boules. Take out the inside of the bread with your fingers or using a fork to make a cavity. Pour the soup inside the bread.