Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

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Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup is a thick, rich, cheesy, creamy, comforting soup loaded with broccoli, some onion and garlic and a cheeky helping of delicious mature cheddar cheese. Quick and easy to make, and, although luxuriously dreamy, you would never guess that this soup uses no cream; I even use semi-skimmed milk. Healthy comfort food at its best, the most decadent ingredient in here is the cheese. Serve with some warm garlic or fresh, crispy bread and you have a wonderful lunch on the table in under 40 minutes, and most of this time is hands off whilst the soup cooks!

Health benefits of this soup:

Broccoli is well known as a super food powerhouse and is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and fibre. Although cheese is not hailed as a superfood (apart from the fact it is a super delicious food), it is an important source of calcium and protein, as well as vitamins A, K and iron. This cheese, made since the 11th century in Cheddar, Somerset, has really stood the test of time. What can I say? It is very difficult to beat a good quality, mature cheddar cheese – everything in moderation!

How to make Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

This recipe is based on my Cream of Vegetable Soup – Core Recipe. It is intended to be a thick soup, so I added some flour to thicken, rather like a thin béchamel sauce.

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the soup –

• unsalted butter
• onion, peeled and chopped
• garlic, peeled and crushed
• plain/all-purpose flour
• milk
• broccoli, stem included, chopped
• teaspoon fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• mature cheddar cheese, grated

Suggested toppings –

• strong cheddar, grated or finely crumbled
• croutons, either plain or garlic or cheese croutons would be delicious
• drizzle with chilli oil
• scatter over chopped, cooked crispy bacon
• some small cooked florets of broccoli
• spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced or chopped chives
• fresh warmed bread – white, brown, naan or any flatbread
• garlic bread

How to make this fabulous soup:

1. Heat the butter in a large cast iron pan or saucepan, over a moderate heat, and add the chopped onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until softened and only very lightly caramelised.
2. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Next add the flour, mix well and cook, stirring continuously, for around 2 minutes.
4. Add 800ml milk and bring to the boil, over a moderate heat, stirring continuously until the soup base thickens.
5. When the soup comes to the boil, add half of the seasoning, the chopped broccoli florets and stems and reduce to a very gentle simmer. Put the lid on and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
6. Check that the broccoli is very soft. If not, cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. As soon as the broccoli is soft, add the cheese and continue to cook for a couple of minutes for the cheese to melt.
8. Leave to cool for around 15 minutes and then blend the soup:
   • either use an immersion stick blender to blend the soup in the casserole, or
   • blend in a food processor or blender. Do this in batches to avoid spillage and be careful transferring the very hot liquid.
9. Pour everything back into the casserole/saucepan and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
10. The soup is likely to be too thick, so add some more milk, until you have the viscosity you desire. Bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Mature cheddar cheese can be quite salty, so you may not need any extra salt.
11. Serve with your choice of toppings and some fresh crusty bread or hot garlic bread.

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Made this recipe?

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