Broccoli- Cheddar Soup (with a potato thrown in!)

 

This soup is delicious but I have never particularly enjoyed the sight of a green soup—hence the attempt to draw your eye to the croutons and my cute napkin. I had a hankering for a soup like this but every recipe I looked at involved something I didn't want; for example, a roux with lots of flour (which IMHO gives it that pseudo-homemade taste that you find in Panera soups or the like), lots of heavy cream, carrots (why?!!!). I decided to use one small potato as a thickener and only a small amount of cream rather than the 2 cups called for in several recipes I saw. If I’m going to consume 2 cups of cream (and believe me, I’m not unwilling), it’s certainly not going to be with broccoli! 

The croutons, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing, are pure deliciousness; I like to make my own from stale baguettes or bread that no one wants to eat anymore. There's not really a recipe- I cut the stale bread into cubes and sauté them in a decent amount of EVOO, sprinkling with salt and garlic powder. When they are relatively browned and crisp, I transfer to a slow oven for about 1 hour (250º) or until nicely crisped. This is such a great way to cut down on kitchen waste and the result is much more delicious than anything from the supermarket.

3 T butter

1 small onion, diced

3 cups broccoli florets

1 small potato, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

pinch of white pepper

1 T Vegeta (you can sub with just salt to taste but really you should invest in some Vegeta)

4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (sharp works best)

Melt butter in a pot and add the onion; sauté over medium heat until very soft. Add the diced potato, broccoli and chicken broth along with the seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Using a hand-held immersion blender, blend until smooth and then stir in the cheese over low heat until melted. Add more seasonings if necessary and top with your homemade croutons.