You guys have to make this! It's so good!
Like tasty GOOD and healthy for you GOOD! Even my picky little niece loves this soup.
Most of the time, I just use frozen precut broccoli and cauliflower florets to save on time. It's perfect for chilly days when you just want to snuggle under the blankets and not spend too much time in the kitchen.
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| Saute onions in butter with some salt until translucent |
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| Add broth, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and simmer 20 min. Add cornstarch slurry and cook. |
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| Take off the heat. Use immersion blender to puree. Add shredded cheese. |
To thicken the soup a bit after simmering all the veggies, I added a cornstarch slurry. But in lieu of the cornstarch slurry, I've also added a peeled and diced russet potato when the veggies are simmering to do the thickening, and that works well.
Also, use whatever cheese you like, but sharp cheddar cheese will give you the best cheesy flavor in this soup. The most important thing though is to add the cheese AFTER you turn off the heat because boiling the soup with cheese (or any dairy for that matter) causes the cheese to separate and create an undesirable grainy texture. And by that same token, this soup is NOT freezable-- believe me... I've tried, and the texture is not good defrosted and reheated.
So when I know I'll have leftovers, I don't add the cheese to the entire pot of soup. Instead, I'll ladle out some bowls, and everyone can add their own shredded cheese to their individual bowls. (You may need to microwave each bowl for a minute or two to get the cheese more melty.) Then the remainder of the "cheese-less" soup can be stored in the fridge for a few days to enjoy later by reheating gently in the microwave with some shredded cheese.
Yields 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2.5 to 3 cups)
- 2 T butter
- 2 c broccoli florets
- 2 c cauliflower florets
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 c low sodium chicken broth (or low sodium vegetable broth if vegetarian)
- ½ t salt
- ¼ t ground black pepper (optional)
- ¾ c shredded cheddar cheese
Ingredients for cornstarch slurry:
- 1 t cornstarch
- 2 T water
Procedures:
1. Melt butter in pot and saute onions with the salt until onions are translucent and onions are slightly browned.
2. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian), and simmer with the lid on the pot, for 20 minutes until all the vegetables are soft and tender.
3. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the cornstarch to cook and slightly thicken the soup. Turn off the heat.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
5. Add the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is just melted. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm topped with croutons or parmesan crisps.