Alex and I were both fans of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Unfortunately, it has 10g of carbs per 8 oz., which is half our daily allotment of carbs. So I made a version that has no roux. Cream cheese makes a great thickener for cream based soups, and gives it a silky texture. I like sharp cheddar, but you can substitute mild or medium if you like. I did put in some carrots because Panera's has carrots in it, but if you don't want to, you can leave them out. Cover the soup and let it warm back up after adding each batch of ingredients, this helps bring the flavors together and makes sure everything gets incorporated. This is especially important after the cream cheese.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2 heads broccoli
1 c. shredded carrots
16 oz. shredded cheddar, sharp or mild
16 oz. (2 bars) cream cheese
32 oz. chicken stock/broth
2 small cooking onions
2 tbsp. butter
4 tsp. minced garlic
salt, pepper, onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1. Chop and saute onions, garlic, and thyme together in the butter until onions are soft and translucent
2. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a soup pot.
3. Chop up 1 head of broccoli into florets and add to broth, along with the carrots.
4. Chop up other head of broccoli and process in a food processor. Add to broth. Cover the soup and bring it to a low boil (more than a simmer, less than a full on boil). Let the veggies soften up.
5. Microwave the cream cheese until you can stir it. Add to broth. Stir until well incorporated.
6. Add cheddar and stir well until incorporated.
7. Serve with some fresh cheddar for topping.
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