Happy New Year!! Our house is a constant buzz of activity during the holidays. We started receiving family and friends the middle of December and our last daughter left for school on January 3rd. Whew, It has been a whirlwind but I love every minute of it. Alas, life has finally simmered down - The hustle and bustle of
the season has passed and everyone has gone back to their lives and busy schedules.
This is when I take inventory of my hard hit pantry and take a look at what I have an abundance of that needs to be made into something and what casseroles and soups need to be remade and restocked. Today I found block of cheddar that was intended for New Year’s Eve but never made it to the table and a head of Broccoli
that I had picked up a few days ago. The perfect combination for my Broccoli Cheddar Soup!
Here is how you make it.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 yellow onion
- Chopped 2 cloves of garlic
- 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour (use corn starch if you are gluten free)
- 3 cups half and half (or milk)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 packet of Hollandaise Sauce (Optional)
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1⁄4 Teaspoon freshly ground Nutmeg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Turmeric Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 large Carrots, peeled and grated
- 4 cups Broccoli Florets (about one head of Broccoli)
- 2 cups of Cheddar Cheese freshly Grated
- 1 cup Cooper Cheese Freshly Grated
Directions
In a large Dutch Oven, on medium heat, melt the butter . Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the Garlic and saute for 30 seconds longer. Add the Flour and stir until golden and all the butter has been absorbed – about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the half and half and stir until smooth. Add the Chicken Broth and the Hollandaise Sauce Packet. Continue to whisk until smooth. Add the Dijon mustard, Nutmeg, turmeric and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the soup to cook, uncovered, until it thickens. This will take about 20 minutes.
Once the soup has thickened, add the broccoli florets and the carrots and allow to simmer until the Broccoli and Carrots are tender – About 20 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and Cooper Cheese until melted. If you feel the soup is a little thick you can thin it by adding up to 1 cup of Chicken broth or water. Add it slowly and stir until you get the consistency that you desire. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve. Garnish with extra cheddar cheese if desired.
*** I like the chunks of Broccoli in this soup, but if you want a smoother consistency, you can puree the soup in a blender or use an immersion blender. ***You could serve this in a bread bowl.
ENJOY
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