I love broccoli cheese soup but do not like the calories it contains (this one is 469 calories per serving). I also don’t like that many recipes contain all kinds of fillers and “fake cheese.” Now, don’t get me wrong, Velveeta has it’s very limited place in the food world (please don’t sent me hate mail for this!). Broccoli cheese soup have just that – broccoli and cheese. That way those flavors are predominant. You will love this soup for its simplicity of flavor and ease of preparation.
Lighter But Just as Tasty Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 32 to 48 oz vegetable stock
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 tsp dried basil
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a heavy bottomed stock pot, add the broccoli, carrots, white onion, garlic, bay leaf, basil, and cayenne pepper to the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook with a lid on it for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. In a small bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the flour until smooth. Add a bit of juice from the pot and stir into the flour mix. Keep adding until the flour mix is very thin. Add the flour/butter mix into the stockpot and simmer another 5 minutes to allow it to thicken. At this point, I felt like the soup was a little thin but I didn’t want to add more fat/flour so I removed about 1/3 of the veggies from the pot and blitzed them a tad bit in the food processor; add them back to the pot. Reduce heat until no longer simmering (to the lowest setting you have). Stir in the cheese right before serving. Garnish with more cheese, a bit of steamed broccoli, or some scallions. Serves 4.
AnnaShortcakes 