Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup

The most satisfying comfort soup in my opinion is creamy and cheesy. As a kid, Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup was always a staple in our kitchen; however, this version has been slimmed down considerably.
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- Prep time
- 20 min
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- Cook time
- 15 min
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- Servings
- 5 Servings
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- Serving size
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1 cup
Ingredients
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broccoli
- 1 lbs
- 454 g
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olive oil
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
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onion, chopped
- 1
- 1
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celery stalk, chopped
- 1
- 1
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all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp
- 2 tbsp
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chicken broth, reduced-sodium
- 1 can
- 1 can
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milk, evaporated fat-free
- 12-ounce can
- 12-ounce can
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reduced-fat cheddar cheese (such as Cabot’s 50% reduced-fat cheddar)
- 1 1/4 cup
- 1 1/4 cup
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black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp
- 1/2 tsp
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nutmeg salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp
- 1/4 tsp
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Directions
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Trim and peel broccoli stems. Cut off 15 small florets. Coarsely chop enough remaining broccoli to equal 2 cups.
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Blanch chopped broccoli and florets in boiling water just until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
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Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture simmers and thickens, about 5 minutes.
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Add chopped broccoli, cheese, pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until cheese melts and soup is heated through, about 3 minutes. Garnish each bowl with reserved broccoli florets.
Reviews
Write a Review-
This is pretty tasty and so easy to make. I followed the directions, but omitted the nutmeg. It wasn't quite as creamy as I like, so at the end, while it was heating through, I added 1 tsp of cornstarch and mixed it with just enough cold water to dissolve it. Added it to the soup, gave it a stir, and let it simmer another minute or so and it was perfect for me. The soup was creamy and rich, and the family liked it too. Will be making this often. 1 tsp of cornstarch added 2 calories and <2g carbs to each 1C serving.
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Made this yesterday. My only complaint is that if you use a different type of broth (not in a can) it would be helpful to know how much to use in ounces. I assumed 14.5oz. Otherwise it ends up a very tasty soup and not that hard to make. Obviously cooking times vary based on the stove you use. Also it would be helpful to discuss HOW to blanch broccoli. I had to look it up. Good soup though, when it was done. One last thing, 1 cup is a small serving size. 1.25c is more usual, so to me this is a 4 serving recipe.