Remember me???
I know, I know, it's been almost four months since my last blog post. I have lots of excuses, but none of them are very good. Anywho....I was inspired today to try my hand at broccoli cheddar soup in a South Beach friendly manner. I think it was a success. My husband devoured it and my youngest asked for leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
What you'll need:
2T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 turnips, chopped (mine were sort of large)
4-6 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
one clove garlic, chopped (optional)
32 oz chicken stock
1/3 cup half and half
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot or french oven, heat olive oil. When your pot is hot, add the copped onion, turnips and broccoli. Stirring occasionally, cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
This is what it should look like after 5-7 minutes. Notice how bright the broccoli has gotten? I also had about a cup of shredded carrots from dinner last night that I decided to toss in there for good measure. I'm sure it would be fine without the carrots.
Then add your chicken stock and reduce the heat to low. You'll let this simmer away until the broccoli is tender. I didn't time mine, but I would say it was about 30 minutes or so.
Then you will add your cream and puree the soup. If you have an immersion blender, this will be the easiest way to get that soup smooth. It will look like this.
Add your shredded cheese and stir in a figure eight pattern until completely melted and incorporated in the soup. The add your salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into your favorite soup bowl and top with cheese. I also added some crispy onions for a little crunch. Enjoy!
