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Comfort Food Classics: Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli cheese soup meets all the comfort-food criteria – rich and filling with a taste redolent of a childhood filled with chilly fall afternoons and play-filled snow days. In a word, it's nostalgic. And like most comfort foods, you can prepare broccoli cheese soup using only wholesome, unprocessed ingredients. What's not to love?
Total Time: 30 minutes | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onions, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus a little more for adjusting the consistency
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets with trimmed stalks
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups aged cheddar cheese, shredded
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste (optional)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets, simmered or steamed (optional)
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and butter, and stir to combine. Cook the flour until it turns blond, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, and whisk until smooth.
- Bring the stock to a simmer and add the broccoli florets. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Puree the soup using a stick blender. Adjust the seasoning to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir in the cheese 1/4 cup at a time, waiting until each addition melts before adding the next. Add Worcestershire sauce to taste.
- Finish the soup with 1/4 cup of cream. If needed, adjust the consistency with a little stock. Taste the soup, and season it a final time with salt and pepper. Garnish with steamed broccoli florets, if desired.
References
Writer Bio
A.J. Andrews' work has appeared in Food and Wine, Fricote and "BBC Good Food." He lives in Europe where he bakes with wild yeast, milks goats for cheese and prepares for the Court of Master Sommeliers level II exam. Andrews received formal training at Le Cordon Bleu.