Inspired by Ellie Krieger’s Broccoli-Cheddar Soup recipe, I fixed Broccoli-Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup for dinner tonight. Admittedly there’s nothing traditional about broccoli soup on New Year’s Day, but I’ve been painting my kitchen, and soup was easy to fix in a rather deconstructed kitchen. My version includes:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly ground, if possible)
- 1 package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower mix (no sauce)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions soften. Add the garlic and nutmeg and stir to mix. Add the broccoli/cauliflower and chicken broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the broccoli and cauliflower are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and work in batches to puree the mixture in a blender. Return the puree to the pan and keep warm over low heat.
In a second pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour, cooking for about two minutes. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly until well blended. Bring the milk mixture to a boil and allow it to reduce slightly. When the mixture lightly coats your spoon or whisk, turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses. Once well-blended, add the cheese mixture to the broccoli-cauliflower puree and add pepper to taste.
If the soup is too thin, reduce it over low heat and/or add additional cheese. Grated parmesan is particularly effective as a thickener and adds a sharpness to the combined flavors.
I topped my soup with a little more grated cheddar to clearly identify the prominent ingredient and with some crisp turkey bacon.