Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

A soup to brighten gray and foggy days.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The hillside into which our house is built is no stranger to fog. Normally, it burns away and we can go about our business in an unhampered fashion. Occasionally, the fog refuses to lift and we are marooned, at least until our driveway, which was not designed for the feint of heart, is visible again. That happened last week. We were buried in a fog so thick you could cut it with a knife. Trite but true. Save for missing fog horns, I'd have sworn I was on the coast of Maine. The sheer grayness of the day demanded counter measures. With a fire lit and loaves on the rise, I decided to make a soup du jour. I played with the idea of making a pea soup, but our fog lacked the characteristic yellow color of a true pea souper, and I wasn't sure the Silver Fox, who was suffering from cabin fever, would appreciate my humor. I still had broccoli and, because we always have a ready supply of cheese, I knew where I was going. I had to be a bit inventive because a lack of cream precluded using my usual recipe for a broccoli and cheese soup. The soup I came up with was easy to make and surprisingly good. The recipe is straight forward and you can't go wrong unless you allow the soup to boil once the cheese has been added to the pot. The cheese will break and curdle and, while that won't affect taste, it's not a pretty sight. While the soup can be reheated, it's best eaten the day it's made. If it becomes too thick, use additional chicken broth to thin it out a bit. This is a very nice soup and I think you'll enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh broccoli florets
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
6 cups chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan set over over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and saute for 5-6 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
2) Add 2 cups chicken broth to pan and heat until boiling. Add broccoli and cook, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using a spoon, break broccoli into small pieces. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining 4 cups chicken broth to pot.
3) Mix flour and milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add mixture to pot. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking over low heat until soup thickens - about 5-6 minutes.
4) Add cheese, handfuls at a time, and stir constantly over low heat until smooth and creamy - about 10 minutes. If soup becomes too thick, add additional chicken stock. Do not let soup boil. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings.

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