Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Vegetarian

Why we love it:

This is a great soup to have in your repertoire. It’s fast and hearty and a fantastic use of the broccoli stems. I like to add some florets for the look and texture but be sure to go heavy on the stalks for a velvety smooth texture and to get the most out of your broccoli!

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Ingredients

¹⁄₂ Yellow Onion
2 cloves Garlic
¹⁄₄ cup Unsalted Butter
¹⁄₄ cup Flour
2 cups Half & Half
2¹⁄₂ cups Stock (chicken or vegetable)
³⁄₄ pound Broccoli (about 4 cups, use lots of stalk!)
1 Carrot (small dice)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (possibly more to taste)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Black Pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon Nutmeg
8 ounces Cheddar Cheese (sharp variety - about 2 cups grated)

Cooking Instructions

1. ONION + ROUX

Dice the onion; mince the garlic. Melt the ¼ cup butter and sauté the onions in it until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and whisk well. Cook and whisk constantly over medium heat for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the half & half and stock while whisking.
2. VEGGIES

Chop the broccoli florets and stalks. Dice the carrot. Add both and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
3. BLEND

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg. You can leave the soup chunky, mash with a potato masher in the pot, or blend 1 - 2 cups of the soup and stir it back in for a smoother soup.
4. CHEESE

Turn off the heat and slowly add the cheese; stir well after each handful added.
5. SERVING

Ladle into deep bowls and serve with crusty bread. Leftovers are best heated slowly on the stovetop - or microwaved in bursts while stopping often to stir.

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Substitutions

DAIRY FREE:

use coconut milk instead of half & half, and omit the cheese (this makes it vegan too if you also use coconut oil instead of butter) - you could also try soy milk or other nut milks
BROCCOLI:

swap for cauliflower, use frozen cauliflower if that’s easier - frozen broccoli works too
POTATOES:

add finely diced russet or yukon gold potatoes
OTHER VEGGIES:

a mix of broccoli and cauliflower is nice, add diced sweet potatoes, squash, corn, a handful of spinach
PASTA:

thin out with more broth and boil some pasta in the soup for a different texture
MUST HAVE MEAT:

ground Italian sausage is my favorite addition, or bacon/pancetta - add while sauteing the onion