White Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Fall has arrived here! I had a crazy baking/cooking day last week and whipped up all sorts of delicious fall-flavored foods. Of course, soup had to be on the list, and I served it along with the best bread I’ve ever made, Homemade Bread. This dinner made me happy, happy! I was “mmmm-ing” after each and every bite. The tart white cheddar gives this creamy soup a different flavor than you are used to in broccoli soup, and it kept me wanting more and more. This soup will be on the menu shortly in the future, and for the coming cold, cold months. It’s a quick fix, and with baby #3 headed our way, I’m going to need a few, or a lot, of these meals!

White Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Printable Version

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. All-purpose flour

2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup milk

2 cups uncooked broccoli florets

2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add flour to saucepan and stir until flour has soaked up all the moisture. Cook for 1 minute.

Add stock a little at a time, mixing the soup thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients and work out any flour-onion-garlic lumps that may have formed. When all stock has been stirred into mixture, add the milk and stir to combine.

Bring mixture to a simmer and add broccoli. Simmer over medium heat until soup has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and break up broccoli and onion chunks using an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender in small batches or use a potato masher. (Make sure not to have the lid on tightly...hot liquid in a vacuum sealed blender=pressure steam burn. Just put a towel over a slightly cracked lid to allow steam to escape).

Return soup to heat and simmer another 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and stir in shredded white cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted. Ladle into bread bowls and serve immediately, garnishing with extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Recipe from www.lifeasastrawberry.com

Serves 3.