I love the combination of broccoli and cheddar cheese and for those who agree or to those who want to try a taste new combo, give this soup a try. This soup is made in two parts. The first is the broccoli puree and the second is the cheese sauce and they come together to make a winning combination. Enjoy!
Makes 12 cups (3 L)
Ingredients
1⁄4 cup + 2 Tbsp (60 mL + 30 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) chopped onions
11⁄2 cups (375 mL) chopped celery
8 cups (2 L) chopped broccoli stems and crowns (remove any woody parts of the stalk)
6 cups (1.5 L) Chicken stock
2 Tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
3 cups (750 mL) whole milk
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
3 cups (750 mL) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Melt 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Add the broccoli and cook for another few minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the broccoli is soft.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook the sauce over medium heat until it is bubbling and thick. Remove from the heat. Add the cream and grated cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.
Puree the broccoli mixture using an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor.
Combine the pureed broccoli mixture with the cheese sauce in the large stockpot. Serve hot but do not bring to a boil.
Variation: For a vegetarian version, I’ve made this soup with water instead of chicken stock. Remember to check your seasoning. If you want to freeze this soup, do so before adding the cheese mixture.
Recipe courtesy of The Kitchen Table Cookbook, by Moira Sanders, Whitecap Publishing. These recipes have been tried, tweaked, sampled, savored, passed on and enjoyed again and again. A collection of recipes that if you had no other resource for recipes, you could pretty much have all your bases covered for feeding yourself and your family in a delicious manner twelve months of the year.
