I think we can all agree, there’s just nothing like Mom’s home cookin’. It just tastes better, doesn’t it? For that reason I’ve asked my Mom to submit some of her favorite recipes for me to share with y’all each Monday. Let’s get cooking in the kitchen with Mom!
It’s Fall! Which to me instantly signals the need for warm, filling comfort foods like Homemade Broccoli and Cheese Soup. Today’s recipe is one of my go-to favorites for this time of year – it’s super flavorful and can be dressed up with a little shredded cheddar, bacon pieces and sour cream. It’s also fairly healthy and much more calorie conscious than other Broccoli Soup recipes – which is great because I can eat a TON of this stuff!
Ingredients:
- 5 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- Up to ½ cup cream (optional)
First, chop up your carrots, onion, celery and broccoli (including the stems) so that you have all your ingredients ready to go. Melt the butter in a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat (*I like to use my Dutch oven as I will use my immersion blender with this and don’t have to worry about scratching the finish of a pot). Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté 5-6 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the flour takes on a little color. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring often.
Once the soup is boiling, add the broccoli and turn the heat down to bring the soup to a good simmer. Simmer the soup uncovered for 20 minutes. The broccoli should be good and tender by this point. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the nutmeg. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool just a bit.
Now you’ll need to puree the soup – you can do that with an immersion blender or regular blender, whichever you have handy. Now would be the time do your taste test to decide if you’d like to add the cream or not. Personally, I find it doesn’t need it so we leave it out – but it’s really up to you! If you do decide to add the cream, you’ll need to reheat the soup gently; don’t allow the soup to boil as you run the risk of breaking the cream.
Garnish to your liking and enjoy!