Good morning! As another snow storm is expected this week I thought a nice big pot of soup was in order. After all it is the perfect comfort food. It is warm, creamy, cheesy and delicious, what more could you ask for in a soup?
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup of yellow onion chopped
1/4 cup of beer
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 cup of half and half
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups of broccoli florets
1 cup of diced carrots
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 ounces of sharp cheddar grated
Directions:
In a large stock pot add 1 tablespoon of butter and the onion and cook on low until soft, then add the beer and continue to cook the onions until caramelized. Remove onions from pan and add 1/4 cup of butter. Melt the butter, then add the flour and whisk for 3-4 minutes. Add the stock, the half and half and the cream, whisk until combined, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli,carrots, and caramelised onions and simmer another 20-30 minutes on low until the broccoli and carrots are tender. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and grated cheese. stir until combined and the cheese is melted. You can use your immersion blender to blend the soup or transfer to a blender to puree if you like smaller chunks.
Note: I did not puree my soup, the vegetables became so tender they fell apart in the soup.
You might notice that the recipe contains caramelized onions and a little beer, not your traditional ingredients for Broccoli Cheddar soup but I think an excellent addition. The beer is a minuscule amount and all of the alcohol burns off and the caramelized onions I was actually using for another recipe but I think they add an additional depth of flavor. You do not need to use the beer or caramelize the onions, you can simply soften the onions in the butter and set aside, the soup is still just as delicious.
This soup is perfect as is, served in a bread bowl or just accompanied by a pile of salty crackers and a side salad.
Have you been making any soup during these last few weeks of snow, cold and more snow and cold? Do you have a favorite recipe to share?
Stay warm today and be safe if you are in the path of the next storm rolling through.
Linking to:
Souptember ~ 10 Soups for Fall and Winter
Roasted Acorns Squash Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries and Squash Seeds.
Friday Favorites No. 490 from Gimme Some Oven, Simply Recipes, Cake & Knife and More
A View of the Clouds
We are not experiencing "soup weather" in our neck of the woods, but that soup looks yummy.
Morning sweetie,
Can you come over and make it for me please. I'm stuck in bed with a bad head cold and could do with some Elizabeth care xxx
to thank you for this special read. I definitely savored every little bit of it and I have bookmarked you to check out new stuff you post. Bulk SMS Service Provider in ORISSA
Ohhhh…..you are talking about one of the best "marriages" in culinary terms: BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR! Yes ma'am! And you know how cold it's been for us here, and soup has been in order every single night! Last night, I made my "famous" white bean and salmon stew with saffron. We ate, enjoyed it, sat on the couch and both feel asleep. It was fabulous.
Dear one, how KIND OF YOU to come to try to comment on my post! I too have run into this problem on several blogs; you start a comment, hit PUBLISH, then POOF! Your comment has vanished! BLogger is on overload, I think!
Hunker down my friend; I hear you all are going to get hit soon, while we up here are just COLD but no snow. We have enough of it!
Hot chocolate, thanks to YOU, will be consumed in mass quantities tonight! XOXOXO Anita
Yes, my dear, we sure have been making soup….we seem to be needing to thaw out every day… 🙂
I am so happy to be able to visit dear friends…I think the comptuer issue has been resolved (at least for now)….
I've missed you! (A little wave to Carol and Dianne!)
Your soup looks so delicious, broccoli cheese is one of my favorites…carmelized onions are a great idea….
My dear Elizabeth, you stay safe and warm….
Sending you love…
I'm catching up on your posts now…
Warm hugs,
– Irina
Elizabeth, The soup looks delicious. If we were not iced in I would head out to the market for broccoli and cheese! There is nothing tastier on a cold day than a steaming bowl of soup. Stay safe and warm… Bonnie
This is one of my favorite winter soups. How can you go wrong with all of those delicious ingredients?! One of my favorite natural food markets prepares this and I will sometimes have it for lunch. Thanks for your recipe Elizabeth!
I don't usually go for soups, but this sounds delicious!
As much as I love soup, especially broccoli, I must say I'm a little tired of the snow and frigid weather. Definitely going to be trying this!!
Yummy! I have been living on soup this winter. We had almost a foot of snow yesterday and are expecting more tonight topped off with a lot of ice! This is no fun! Good thing I work from home (or maybe not…no snow day fun for me!)
Have a lovely day, Elizabeth! xoxo
You have inspired me to make this today!!! It is the perfect soup day…and this is one my sons (and mine) favorites, looks sooo good I can almost taste it:) Will let you know how it comes out!
Hi Elizabeth, it was great to see you today! Although I rarely comment due to time restraints, I read every post…and today this broccoli soup inspired me to make some…I added fried pancetta bits to the top…it was beyond delicious !! I enjoy your blog and it's diversity…not always seen in blogs…N.xo