Creamy or Chunky Broccoli Cheddar Soup to keep your tummy warm this winter!
Source: Started with a friend's recipe, which I temporarily lost, and recipes I have found online.
Blanch broccoli and carrots before starting anything else. To do so, chop broccoli up and shred the carrots. Set aside a moment. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and carrots, let it cook until broccoli becomes a bright green. Take off the heat, and strain.
In a soup pot or pasta pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until onions are opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stirring until for bought 30 seconds. Don't burn the garlic or it will have a bitter taste. Add flour and cook, stirring until flour is absorbed into a roux-type mixture with the onion and garlic. Don't burn the flour. Slowly add the broth or stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the blanched, drained broccoli and carrots, cook and stir about 10 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion wand / blender until the thickness you desire. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a blender or food processor and puree in small batches. Pour soup back into the pot, add cream and bring to a bare simmer to heat through. Add most or all of the cheese, reserving an eighth for garnish if desired, and cook over low heat, stirring until cheese is melted.
Remove pot from the heat and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup, if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Take your time. Prep everything first. I have substituted cauliflower for broccoli a couple times, and I have even done a mix of the 2. If you want to use frozen broccoli, that is fine. You'd use two (2) 16-ounce packages of frozen broccoli, and you wouldn't blanch it. As for the carrots - you can buy pre-shredded packages of carrots in most grocery stores. You can also skip the carrots all together, but I think it gives added nutrition. My friend used bacon fat instead of butter. That'll give another flavor element to make people go 'hmmm'. My family likes oyster crackers instead of croutons. To each their own, I say! Enjoy!
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 -8 Serving (281g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 6 Servings | ||
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Calories: 225 | ||
Calories from Fat: 159 (71%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 17.7g | 24 % | |
Saturated Fat 10.8g | 54 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 4.6g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 0.7g | ||
Cholesterol 52.6mg | 16 % | |
Sodium 71.6mg | 2 % | |
Potassium 559.4mg | 15 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 15.4g | 5 % | |
Dietary Fiber 4.6g | 18 % | |
Sugars, other 10.9g | ||
Protein 5g | 7 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 225
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