So, summer is officially over (well, technically the last day of summer is September 22nd) but after Labor Day I think its safe to say that we fold up our swimsuits, throw on a turtleneck and dive into a big pool of pumpkin spice. Or, in other words, accept it’s time for fall.
My form of acceptance is kicking of the start of the season with a big pot of soup. I love soup and one of my favorites is this Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup. It’s thick and creamy with a hint of nutmeg, perfect for a lazy weekend and even better to bring for lunch the next day.
If you are a fan of the version at Panera Bread, this version is very close. The best part is that it takes one pot, minimal effort and comes together pretty quickly. Ok, let’s get our fall soup on.
Grab your head of broccoli and cut into florets or “little trees” as my sons call it.
I try to use fresh broccoli whenever I can because I prefer the texture, however I have used frozen broccoli as well and it has been just as delicious. If you do use frozen be sure to get broccoli florets instead of chopped broccoli for better quality pieces.
For cheese, again I try to buy a good block of quality sharp cheddar cheese and grate it myself. But if you have pre-shredded cheddar in your fridge, by all means, use that.
After you have your ingredients prepped, it’s really just a matter of throwing everything in the pot. I start with sautéing some onions (you want to build those flavors) but after that it’s smooth sailing. Pour this, dump that…easy peasy.
What I love about this soup is that it uses ingredients that I normally have on hand.
Serve this soup hot with a nice piece of crusty bread and you will be in heaven. “Fall but not technically fall” heaven.
Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup
Print RecipeIngredients
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
- 3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt butter in a dutch ovent over medium-high heat. Saute onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add flour to melted butter and whisk together constantly on medium-low heat; cook 3 to 4 minutes.
Gradually pour milk into flour mixture while whisking constantly. Stir chicken stock into milk mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook until flour taste is gone and mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots and nutmeg. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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