I read reviews of this soup before I made it, and a lot of people were on the fence about it. They said it was “too potatoey” and “not cheesy enough”. I took that into consideration and tweaked the cheese a little. I think it turned out pretty good! I added about 2 cups of cheese instead of 1 1/3 cups, and I think that did the trick. One thing though- there wasn’t enough broccoli! I measured it out and everything, but it looked pretty dinky floating in the pot. Next time I will add another cup of it. Don’t forget the croutons with this one! PS: it says this serves 4, but this made a LOT of soup. I would say 4 people, 2 bowls each.
rating: 9
Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
(Food Network magazine, Oct. 2011)
serves 4
active time: 35 min.
total time: 35 min.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie chicken broth)
2 cups half-and-half
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups chopped broccoli florets (I would add 3 cups)
1/3 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)- I added 2 cups
Croutons, for topping (optional)
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl; add 3 tablespoons water and season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.
When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to let steam escape (or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water, if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat; stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper.
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, if desired.
Per serving: Calories 589
