Broccoli Cheddar Soup- Souper Bowl Entry

I joined another Recipe Swap with a group of military women and I received this recipe to make.  I thought it was great too because another blogger I have run across, Branny Boils Over, is doing a Souper Bowl (click link for more details).  She is raising money for ASPCA, which I think is a great cause, so I'm glad this recipe served two purposes.

My husband and I have two dogs: Faith and Clifford.  Faith is a mutt that I found at the pound.  When I was purchasing her, the lady at the counter said, "We're so glad you're taking her, we were going to have to put her down tomorrow." My heart melted even more as I walked out the door with her.  I've had her two years, and she is just super energetic. We normally go on three walks a day, and sometimes she still has a ton of energy to spare.  She is so amazing though, I'm so glad I got her that day from the pound.

We also got Clifford from the pound.  He is a six year old St. Bernard/English Mastiff mix.  Jacob loves him so much because he's just so big and lazy.  He is great with kids, and loves everyone in the neighborhood, so everyone always wants to pet him.  He is a great dog, and him and Faith are the best of friends.

Playing tug of war, this usually results in a ripped toy.

Taking a nap after hiking.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
slightly adapted from Simply Scratch

Ingredients

1 or 2 bunches (12 ounces) fresh broccoli, cut into florets

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted Butter, divided

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 medium carrot, julienned or grated

1/4 cup flour

2 cups Half-and-Half

2 cups Vegetable broth, plus more if needed

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, or more to taste

12 ounces Good Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the broccoli and place it into a large bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain the broccoli and set aside. 

2) Sauté the onions and carrots in two tablespoons of butter until soft but still firm. Remove and set aside. 

3) Add the 1/4 cup of melted butter to the pan. Add in the flour, stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.  

4) Slowly pour half-and-half and then the vegetable broth while still whisking. Add in nutmeg and stir. Cover and simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes. 

5) Next, reduce heat to low and add in the onions, carrots and broccoli. Add more vegetable stock if you feel the soup is too thick. Stir and cover to simmer for another 20-25 minutes. 

6) Lastly, use a potato masher to break up the broccoli florets to desired size. Add in half of the cheddar cheese. Season generously {to taste} with kosher salt and black pepper. 

Serve immediately with additional cheddar cheese.

Recipe Notes: I shredded my carrots on a cheese grater because I am horrible at cutting things into julienned strips.  The original recipe calls for one bunch of broccoli (or 12 ounces), and two bunches were almost 12 ounces for me. My store didn't have vegetable stock, so I just used vegetable broth.

I loved this soup a lot.  I even gave my dogs a little bit of the cheese, so it feels like they were a tiny part of this recipe as well.  Mine was pretty chunky, the broccoli was chunky and the soup was a little thick, but it went great with the ham and cheese sandwiches that we had to accompany it.  It made quite a bit extra too, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it for lunch all week. 

For more soup recipes, visit The Local Cook.