Broccoli Cheddar Soup

There’s a Panera Bread restaurant near us, and RT and I love their Broccoli Cheddar soup. I did an internet search to find the recipe. The problem was that there were different recipes that all claimed to be THE Panera Bread recipe. There were some common ingredients, though, and so I could figure out the basics of the recipe. Most of the recipes recommended putting all the ingredients in a blender at the end. However, I like little chunks of veggies in my soup. Nothing substantial or large, but enough to give the soup a little texture. So I left out the blending step. Instead, I diced all the veggies finely and then sauteed them together before adding them to the soup.

When RT and I had his office Christmas party here last week, we decided to have soup and sandwiches as the mainstays of the dinner. I took a leap of faith and decided to make two soups I’d never made before: Chicken and sausage gumbo, along with the broccoli cheddar soup. I’ll save the gumbo for a later post (it was wonderful!), and I’ll present the broccoli cheddar soup here. The soup turned out great - and it looked really pretty, too. After I made the soup and the gumbo, I put each into a crock pot, turned the crock pot on warm, and then set out bowls and spoons and let my guests serve themselves. It was a great way to handle a dinner party.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 T. butter

1/2 medium onion, diced finely

1/2 pound fresh broccoli, chopped well

1 cup carrots, shredded

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in 1 Tablespoon butter. After about five minutes, add the shredded carrots and chopped broccoli and saute briefly. Put lid on pan (so veggies will continue to cook) and set aside. Combine the 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup flour in a large saucepan using a whisk. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the half-and-half, stirring constantly, until thick. Add the chicken stock, whisking all the time. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the onion/carrot/broccoli mixture, and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender - about 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the grated cheese and nutmeg. Stir until blended. Enjoy.