SW: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

One of my favorite things about our midwest town is the fact that there is a Panera Bread Company here. I love Panera. That was one of the perks of moving here. If the Panera people let me, I might try to live there. I love their pastries, I love their souffles, and I love love LOVE their soups. And my favorite is their Broccoli Cheddar Soup because a good BC soup is always amazing. While it doesn't taste exactly like Panera's, it was still super tasty and satisfying.

I think I inadvertently doubled the broccoli required because ours was very very broccoli-y, but I hadn't measured my broccoli by pound, and I don't have a food scale just yet (I know, heresy!) so I just used three crowns of broccoli. I also added more cheese, so really, the mods I made to this recipe were relatively slim. But after adding all that broccoli, extra cheese was very necessary.

Also, veggie-izing this recipe would be SUPER easy. Veggie broth, and wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup-Tuesday

Modified Recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
3 bunches fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste

12 ounces grated sharp cheddar

1. Saute onion in butter and set aside. Add the flour and melted butter to the pan and whisk over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently. At the four minute mark, slowly add the half-and-half, all the while continuing your frequent stirring. Repeat this process with the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli, carrots, and sauteed onions, and cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, another 20 minutes or so. Salt and pepper.
3. The soup should be thick at this point, so pour in SMALL batches into the blender and puree. I am a pro at pureeing hot liquids in my blender due to much trial and error, so if you have never done this before and don't know the proper protocol, ask someone! SMALL batches. No lid. You'll avoid burns!
4. Return the puree to the pot, and place over low heat. Add the grated cheese and stir until well blended. Serve. And serve in a bread bowl if you have some lying around because it will be simply tasty!
5. Yum!

And yes, later today, there will be another SUPER yummy guest post!