It’s been so cold here lately that I needed something warm and comforting. Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of soup. I had broccoli that I needed to use up so I went searching for a broccoli soup. I found a yummy looking recipe for broccoli soup at For the Love of Cooking but wanted something a little more cheesy. So I kept searching and came across broccoli and three cheese soup at A Year of CrockPotting and decided that I would kind of combine the two recipes.
I used the cheese that I had on hand. You can use whatever kinds of cheese that you want. You can use one, two or three different kinds like I did. I’m not too sure of the exact measurement of cheese that I used because B was shredding and eating it and shredding more and eating more. We like cheese so we put more in but if you aren’t a big fan of a lot of cheese then just use less.
This was a really simple recipe. It turned out really good. It’s relatively healthy too if you don’t add all the cheese. But cheese is dairy so it’s good for you right?
Broccoli Cheese Soup
3 heads of broccoli (I used both the stems and florets. I got about 3 cups of stems and 8 cups of florets. I kept them separate because I added them in at different times. You’ll want to make sure that your broccoli is cut up into bite sized pieces)
1/2 an onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups milk (I used non-fat milk)
1/2 cup water
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
3 cups of cheese (I used Gruyere, medium cheddar and mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
In a large pot over medium high heat drizzle some olive oil. You need just enough to cook your onions and broccoli stems. Probably 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Add the onions and garlic and saute for a 2 minutes.
Add the broccoli stems and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock.
Add the milk, water and bay leaf.
Add salt and pepper to taste. (I ended up adding more salt and pepper later after I had tasted it.)
Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Isn’t my new pot great??? I’ve been wanting one of these for a while now and Macy’s had a good deal on it plus I had a gift card so it cost me less than $25!!! I love a good deal!
Add all the broccoli florets except for 2 cups. Allow to simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the broccoli is completely cooked.
Remove the bay leaf and puree your soup until it is completely smooth. I used a stick blender for this but you can add your soup into a blender in batches if you would rather.
Once the soup is blended add the remaining broccoli florets and cook until they are done which will take probably about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add all the cheese and stir until completely melted.
Enjoy!
Ohh I love cheese, this looks delicious!
Love the soup! And enamaled pots are THE BEST! Thanks for your visit to my blog! Stop back by anytime!
My husband loves the Broccoli cheese soup from Panera and has asked me to make it for him. I’ve never tried, but your recipe looks delicious and healthy, too!
Nothing like a delicious soup to warm you up during cold days like these! YUMMY!
I love the Broccoli soup from Panera too, yours looks really good.