Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This recipe is adapted from the Panera copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe found here. I try to elevate the soup a little more by serving it in a bread bowl (um, yes!) and arranging roasted broccolini and more cheddar cheese on top and hitting it under the broiler for 2 minutes. I hope you try this!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half cream*
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 heaping cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 cup carrot julienned
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 2 to 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded, any kind + more for garnish
- bread bowl for serving, optional
- roasted broccolini optional
Instructions
- Using a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter until just melted. Add the onions and sauté until soft and tender. Add the flour over the top and mix together. Let cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock.
- Add the broccoli and carrots and bring to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend and then add back into the pot. Stir in the cheddar cheese (over low heat or have the heat turned off) until combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings as desired. Serve and enjoy!
- Optional: Slice the top off of a bread bowl, remove some of the inner bread and ladle some soup into the bread bowl. Arrange the roasted broccolini over the top, add some more cheddar cheese and bake in the 350 degree oven to melt the cheese, or turn the heat up to broil and broil for 2 minutes (if you broil, watch your bread bowl). Serve and enjoy while hot!
Notes
*you can use half and half, or a combination of milk and heavy cream