Soup season is upon us and is one of the easiest foods to puree! Homemade broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorites for it’s easy to make and very, very flavorful. It’s quite possible you have most of the ingredients in your fridge or pantry right now so let’s get the pot on!
I use an instant pot when I make cream soups. This soup literally takes one minute in the instant pot once it gets to the proper pressure to cook the main ingredients. However, I’ve made this soup numerous times on the stovetop and the steps are unchanged. You could easily make this in a crock pot as well, just dump the ingredients in and let it cook until the vegetables are well cooked.
Step one:
Into a pot or crockpot, you are going to add 2-3 large crowns of broccoli cup up; 2-3 carrots in small cubes or shredded; 3 stalks of celery chopped; and one large onion. I add enough vegetables to fill my pot about 2/3 full. To this I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour 32 ounces or 4 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable) cover and simmer until all vegetables are softened and well cooked. ( I like to use Better Than Bouillon chicken base for my broth. )
Step 2:
On the stove in a sauce pan, I melt 1/4 cup of butter. In a bowl dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a 1/2 cup water and stir to mix. Slowly add this to the melted butter and whisk for one minute on medium heat to make a roux. You could use flour vs. cornstarch. Reduce heat to low and slowly add 2 cups of light cream ( could use half and half or whole milk). Slowly stir in 2 cups of sharp shredded cheese. (In the photo, my block of cheese had been sitting in the sun and was very soft so I did not shred it.) Stir continuously until cheese is melted into a thick sauce with the milk. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir all ingredients to combine. Set aside to cool. I refrigerated mine overnight. It will thicken the longer it sets.
Step 3:
Pour amount of soup wanted into a small blender. Blend until smooth. Heat to desired temperature in microwave or on top of the stove. Add food thickener to a pudding thickness. My large bowl of soup took 6 pumps of Simply Thick to get it to IDDSI level 4, pudding thick. Use food thickener of your choice.
I am one of those people that could eat a bowl of soup every day. I find soup to be healthy, nutritious and filling. There are so many recipes online that you could make many variations of your favorite soups so you never tire of the same old ones. Soups also make large quantities to enjoy for several days or freeze for later for the upcoming crisp fall days that are at our doorstep.
Pour a glass of apple cider and dish a bowl for yourself and have a meal together! I hope this one you’ll enjoy!
Best wishes,
Jean