Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I think I might have just found the cure for red noses and cold cheeks this winter, and it’s not going away to some place warm until the winter is over. It’s soup, or at least that is what I enjoy to help chase away the winter chill. Soup is one of my favorite cold weather dishes but of course it needs a nice crusty bread or some cracker served along side.
While the restaurant versions are quite tasty, I wanted to have my own version of this beloved classic without ever having to leave my home, especially on those bitterly cold days. So after a few tries and a couple of tweaks I came up with something that we both really love. To keep things really authentic I served the soup up in some freshly baked crusty bread bowls. These make for quite indulgent meal.
Ingredients: (yields about 4 one cup servings)
- 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons of flour
- 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup of half and half
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 1/4 teaspoons of prepared horseradish
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/3 cup of carrot, julienned and cut into small pieces
- 1 1/4 cups of sharp white cheddar, packed and grated
- 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar, packed and grated
For the bread bowl I used the no knead bread recipe that I have made before and divided the dough into four equal parts during the shaping process. I also baked the mini loaves one at a time, and kept a close eye on them as it neared the end of the bake time.
Store bought bread rounds work just as well.
Directions:
In a dutch oven melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Then add in the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often for 2 minutes.
Slowly add in the chicken broth and half and half. Stir until thickened. Add the black pepper, nutmeg, horseradish, broccoli, and carrots. Stir to combine.
Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Remove from the heat and slowly add in the grated cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted.
Cut the top off the bread round. Hollow the bread round out and carefully fill with soup.