Broccoli Cheese Soup

Creamy, cheesy, and packed full of veggies, this broccoli cheese soup is always a winner in my house. It’s a go to recipe when I need to get a kid approved dinner on the table quick, because if cheese can’t convince a three year old to eat their broccoli, then I don’t know what will.

The thing I love about this soup is that it tastes decadent without feeling like you’re slurping up fondue. Not that I wouldn’t slurp up some fondue if given the chance. I clearly keep my bar set pretty low. But you should definitely keep your bar set high and make this soup. Panera, who?

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 C broccoli, florets and stems cut into small-medium sized pieces

1 C onion, diced

2 C carrots, thinly sliced into 1-2” long matchsticks

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 C all purpose flour

4 C chicken stock

1 C half and half

1 1/2 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 C shredded cheddar cheese + more for topping

in a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add broccoli, onions, carrots, garlic, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir to combine, and cook until the onions have become translucent, approximately 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the top, stir to coat the vegetables in the flour, and cook for another 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add the chicken stock and half and half. Stir everything together and bring up to a gentle simmer. Once the liquid has slightly thickened and the broccoli has become tender, add the cheese, stirring until it has completely melted into the broth. Pulse the soup a few times with an immersion blender to puree some of the soup, leaving several large chunks of broccoli.

I like to serve this with toasty garlic croutons, a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, and a generous sprinkle of more cheddar cheese.