Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup...

Broccoli Cheese in a Bread Bowl - YUM

Ahhh, warming, comforting, nourishing, left-over using - soup.  Not a week goes by that I don't factor in soup as a meal.  No, I'm not talking about that can of soup in the cabinet.  It's a great staple to have on hand, but it's not by any means what I consider soup.  Homemade, from scratch with the freshest ingredients, now that's soup.  Soup is what transforms the simplest and plainest ingredients into something grand.

For myself, I prefer a cream based soup.  Once mastered, the possibilities are endless.   Here in our house we are partial to Crab and Corn Chowder( a recipe for another day), and Cream of Broccoli.  For all of my cream soups, I start in the same way - with a roux.  A roux is simply a mixture of fat and flour.  It will be the thickening agent for the soup.  My preference for the fat is melted butter.  It is an equal ratio for each.  I start with a stick of butter.

Place the butter is a stock pot or Dutch oven on the stove over low heat.  Keep it low or you risk burning the butter.  

You can add a splash of olive oil which enables the butter to cook at a some what higher heat without danger of burning.  I just keep it low.  Once melted, sprinkle in a half cup of flour.  Be sure to sprinkle it all over the bottom of the pot and not in one big clump. 

The idea is for the flour to absorb the melted butter and come together as a paste.  I find that if I let it simmer a minute or two before stirring, I don't get clumps.  

When I begin to stir, I slowly add chicken broth while stirring.  

It will thicken and then thin out as more liquid is added.  In total, I usually add four to six cups of liquid.  Obviously, if you like your soup thicker, stick to less liquid.  You can always add more later to thin it out.  However, it's difficult to thicken past this point without getting clumps or a floury taste.

Back to the soup.  Once I've got the liquid in, I add the substance - chopped broccoli.  In all of my soups goes chopped onion and garlic.  I don't worry about sautéing.  To me, it interferes with the roux coming together.  I also add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper for a little heat and salt and pepper to taste.   

Cooking the chopped broccoli at a low boil for twenty minutes usually does the trick.  Note - Simmering with the lid off will results in a thicker soup due to evaporation which is a good way to get rid of excess liquid if you over poured.  When the broccoli is fork tender, I add a half cup of whole milk or half and half and a couple handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese and then simmer for a couple more minutes.  

That's it.  Ready to serve. 

Here's the workable recipe if you too are in the mood for soup...

Cream of Broccoli

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

5 cups of chicken stock

Small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of pepper

1 TBSP of crushed red pepper, optional

4 cups of chopped broccoli

1/2 cup of cream

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar

Bacon crumbles (optional)

Additional cheddar (optional)

Directions   

Create a roux with the butter and flour.  Slowly stir in chicken stock.  Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Add crushed red pepper and broccoli.  Cook for twenty minutes on a low boil.  Check for doneness of broccoli.  Add cream and cheddar.  Stir.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Top with bacon and additional cheddar if desired.  Serve and Enjoy  :)

What soups have you been cooking up?