MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE SOUP - SERVES 4

It's not exactly soup weather but I had things to use up in the fridge and this is the first recipe I came across. It comes from Now Cook This hosted by Michelle. You can see the original recipe here. It's a delicious soup, a ten out of ten to our own taste. I will be going back to see Michelle's other recipes many times I can tell.

Broccoli Cauliflower and Cheese Soup - serves 4 and if you are watching such things, approximately 471 calories in a serving.

2 tablespoons olive oil, use regular or light – not extra virgin (we used avocado oil)

2 medium to large carrots, diced

2 large ribs celery, diced

1 small to medium onion, diced

salt and pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups water

4 teaspoons chicken base, such as Better Than Bouillon

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

3 cups fresh cauliflower florets

1 cup half and half

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large pot (4-quart size or larger), heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour and cook for another minute, stirring. Important to cook the flour first. In my early days I remember missing this step and there was a raw flour taste in every bite of soup.

Combine the water and chicken base. Add to the pot along with the broccoli and cauliflower.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Using a potato masher, mash the veggies until they reach the desired consistency.

Add the half-and-half and the cheese. Stir until the cheese is blended into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Michelle's notes:

This recipe makes 4 generous servings of about 2 cups each, which is perfect for a bowl of soup as the main dish, but you could stretch it out to 6 servings of about 1-1/3 cups each if you were serving it as a starter – more like a cup of soup rather than a bowl.

You can use frozen broccoli and cauliflower. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time so that they don’t get mushy.

You can use 4 cups of canned or boxed chicken stock in place of the chicken base and water, but the flavor will be a bit different (I think the chicken base has much more flavor).

Omit the flour to make the soup gluten-free. Use your favorite gluten-free thickening agent and method to thicken the soup (cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca starch, etc.).

I don’t recommend freezing this soup. Soups with dairy can separate and take on an odd texture when frozen and reheated.   

What did we change?  Not much, we had all the ingredients and was very happy with the way it turned out.

I served it with cornbread and we had a mixed salad. We had arugula and much to my surprise I disliked it very much. It had been a long time since we bought it and now I know why. Gregg on the other hand enjoyed it. I like every other kind of lettuce but apparently not arugula, I couldn't even eat it. I picked out the black olives, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, diced sweet bell pepper strips, diced onion and was happy with those.

We did add an extra carrot and we both agree, it was a good choice.

I added a few drops of Sriracha to mine.

We used an emulsifier instead of the potato masher and mixed it to a texture we both liked. There were still little nuggets of broccoli and cauliflower surprises left.

This is a great soup for hiding vegetables, especially for those who don’t like broccoli or cauliflower, big kids and little kids.  My dear other half for instance, can’t abide broccoli. The good news is he loves this soup. Our tastes occasionally part ways, like me with arugula. 

I wouldn’t hesitate to use regular broth instead of the chicken base, commercial or homemade. I think it would still be a great tasting soup.

If you prefer to copy and paste the address below, I have left it in full.

https://nowcookthis.com/broccoli-cauliflower-and-cheese-soup/

That's about all I can think of but if you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section. I will be happy to answer if I can.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!