Broccoli Cheese Soup
4
servingsIn addition to broccoli, I used cauliflower, a few carrots and onion – so no need for a salad to serve alongside, really (unless you want one)! We have a poultry allergy in the family, so instead of chicken broth I like to use vegetarian “Better Than Bouillon” vegetarian “no chicken” base. Don’t skip the dijon or nutmeg – those add a nice little depth of flavor!
This recipe says 4 servings, but you should have plenty of leftover soup.
Ingredients
One head broccoli (or equal to about 1 cup or so of florets) – washed, patted dry and florets trimmed off the head
One head cauliflower (or equal to about 1 cup or so of florets) – washed, patted dry and florets trimmed off the head
A few carrots – I used three regular sized whole carrots – washed and grated
About half a small onion, diced
Garlic – I used about a tsp of jarred minced garlic.
Couple tbsp butter
1/4 c all purpose flour
Salt & pepper to taste
4 cups chicken (or I used vegetable) broth or prepared bouillon
2 cups whole milk
About half a tsp or so of dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
About 2 cups shredded (manually, from a block) of sharp cheddar – my preference is Tillamook Medium or Sharp for this recipe
Directions
- Wash, pat dry and prep your veggies, De-floret the heads of broccoli and cauliflower (cut the florets from the stem and dice into bite-size pieces), shred your carrots and dice your onion. Set each aside til ready for use.
- Prepare your boullion (if using that instead of broth) or measure out your broth and milk into separate measuring cups and set aside til ready for use.
- Add butter to large soup pot or stock pot, and saute onion for a few minutes til soft, then add garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds til fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and whisk in for a couple of minutes, til crumbly and golden. Keep whisking while it cooks for a couple minutes, so that you’re cooking the “raw flour” taste out of your roux. Gradually whisk in your broth, then stir in milk, Bring to a gentle simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add veggies – broccoli, cauliflower and carrots – and simmer for about 8-10 minutes til tender. You can use an immersion blender to puree part of the soup for creaminess and leave some of the florets whole, if you wish (I didn’t).
- Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded cheddar cheese and dijon mustard until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Serve hot and add croutons if you like. I served with hot rolls (see note below for prep instructions).
Notes
- Serve with a nice green salad, if you wish (although there are a lot of veggies in the soup), some good dark pumpernickel rye bread, or sourdough bread or just some yummy yeast rolls, if that’s your thing!
I just use the Rhodes brand frozen rolls – put next to each other in a small nonstick casserole (or nonstick cooking sprayed bundt pan), then let rise for 4-5 hours at room temp, covered with nonstick sprayed-plastic wrap. The rolls will rise so much that they’ll stick to whatever you lay over the top of them, so for this purpose I use nonstick-sprayed plastic wrap layed loosely over the top while they rise. Then I melt a couple tbsp butter in microwave and drizzle that over the raw rolls, then put them in the oven and bake them at 350 for about 10 minutes, until golden.