Are you looking for a restaurant-quality soup without the restaurant price? The spectacular Ultimate Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the easy, price-conscious way to enjoy one of your favorites, in a homestyle way! Fork-tender broccoli and a wonderfully rich cheddar cheese is puréed into soup superbness! Ultimate Broccoli Cheddar Soup, along with a basket of bread (if you want), is the definition of comforting on a cool fall or winter’s day. Grab yourself a bowl and let’s eat!
Ingredients
- 1 large head fresh broccoli, chopped into florets and stems
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
Directions
Step 1 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, add the broccoli pieces and blanch until they are bright green and fork-tender, but still slightly crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 2 -Drain the water and pour the broccoli pieces in a bowl.
Step 3 -Wipe the pot clean, then over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 4 -Add the onions and the carrots to the melted butter and cook, stirring frequently, until they have softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 5 -Add the flour to the veggie mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until a paste forms and the vegetables are coated, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6 -Slowly add the vegetable stock to the veggie mixture and bring to a low simmer, stirring constantly.
Step 7 -Reduce the heat to low. Add the milk and all but 1 cup of the broccoli to the soup and simmer, about 10 minutes, setting aside 1 cup of the broccoli for serving.
Step 8 -In an immersion blender, add the soup and blend until well combined. If using a regular blender, let the soup cool first and don’t overfill, then blend in small batches to avoid splattering and overflowing.
Step 9 -Pour the puréed soup back into the pot over low heat.
Step 10 -Add 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper to the puréed soup and heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted.
Step 11 -Taste the soup and season with the extra salt and the extra pepper, as needed. Stir to combine.
Step 12 -Top the soup with the reserved broccoli and the extra cheddar cheese.
Step 13 -Serve.
