Inside: What’s better on a cold day than a bowl of classic broccoli cheese soup? Not many things, I’ll tell you that! Check out my version. You don’t even have to wait for a cold day.
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You know how it is. You go into a restaurant and see the “soup of the day” sign. You’ve got a hankering and ask the waitress. She says, “Broccoli Cheese,” and you’re definitely in. . . Or maybe I’m just talking about me.
I’ve been a fan for a long time, but I must confess I never made it until I went on a fat fast. (In an nutshell, eating 80 – 90 percent of your calories from fat for a few days to lose weight. . . Yes, it works. Seriously.) My inspiration for this recipe comes from the Fat Fast Cookbook by Dana Carpender, Amy Dungan, and Rebecca Latham.
My version differs in that I use chicken bone broth instead of the water. I also use sharp cheddar and more of it, increase the heavy whipping cream, and add a few garlic cloves to the broccoli florets cooking in the pot. I don’t bother to steam the broccoli, as it’s easier to simmer it and the garlic cloves in the broth.
A thought or two on kitchenware and gadgets. . . I raved on and on about how much easier making soup is with an immersion (stick) blender, and it’s so true! But you can use a regular blender for this recipe, too. I’ve also fallen in love with the stainless steel stockpot I got for Christmas. It has measurements inside the pot so you know how many quarts of something you’ve made. (I can’t wait to use it for canning this summer!) Again, not necessary, but quite useful if you’re shopping for a good stockpot.
Okay, now back to the soup recipe for day 3 of our soup series. Enjoy!
- 5 cups of chicken bone broth or chicken stock
- 4 cups of broccoli florets
- 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 - 8 ounce brick of cream cheese
- 3 cups of sharp cheddar
- 1 cup of heavy cream (or half and half for lighter soup)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Put chicken broth into a large stockpot with broccoli florets and peeled garlic cloves and bring to boil.
- Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, then puree vegetables with immersion or regular blender. (You can leave some small pieces of florets for a more rustic soup.)
- Add cream cheese and sharp cheddar, cooking over low heat until melted.
- Add cream and seasonings and simmer for a few minutes.
- Enjoy!
Are you a broccoli fan? Confess in the comments.
Bonus – Links to a few tried and true recipes from a favorite website:
Lynn’s “Split Pea” Soup. A good soup, but I omitted the water. Always easier to add more water if a soup is too strong than to add more ingredients to a weak, bland soup.
Mock Potato Soup. If you read yesterday’s post about the soup standoff, this is the recipe that changed the course of soup events in our household. Don’t skip the optional garnish of green onions and crumbled bacon. It really adds to the recipe.
Sausage Pumpkin Chili. Pureed pumpkin in chili? Sausage instead of hamburger? Definitely! All I can say is try it–particularly if the acid from too many tomatoes bothers you. (It does have a small can of tomato sauce.) This recipe is good regardless.
Related posts:
Simple Suppers: Creamy Cheesy Cauli Soup
Simple Suppers: Butternut Beer Brats Soup
Simple Suppers: Roasted Chicken Thighs
How to Make Chicken Bone Broth
Kelly Dunn
Love broccoli cheese soup!!!
amy@amyharkemoore.com
I think we’ve formed a broccoli cheese soup club! 🙂
Cheryl Carter
Love broccoli… It’s a wonder food for diabetics. ANOTHER great soup recipe. I’m one of those people who could eat soup every day.
amy@amyharkemoore.com
Me, too, Calen! 🙂 Definitely a go-to comfort food for me.