Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love soup, have you noticed yet? In cold weather, there's nothing better. And this soup is a delicious way to consume a lot of vegetables and not mind one bit. This soup will freeze well, so you can make a big batch and save some for later. And the cheddar crackers from my last post make an excellent topping instead of starchy saltines.

{pureed using an immersion blender, before adding in the cheese}

{stirring in the cheeses}

Broccoli Cheddar Soup - adapted just slightly from Cook's Illustrated

serves 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 (medium) cloves garlic, minced, or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tsps)

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard
Table salt
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, (but if you're a veggie who can eat starch, vegetable broth will work just fine) - I actually used turkey broth that I made from our thanksgiving turkey carcass and it was perfect
2 ounces baby spinach (2 loosely packed cups)
3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated fine (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
Ground black pepper

optional: 1/4 cup heavy cream

 1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white wine and baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.

2. Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat. 

3. If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup right in the pot. If not, transfer soup to a blender (do this in parts, all of the soup won't fit in the blender at once) and process until smooth. Pour the soup back into the dutch oven and add Cheddar and Parmesan, and stir with a wooden spoon until melted and smooth about 1 minute.  

4. Put dutch oven back on medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. If you'd like it a little creamier (like me), add in heavy cream and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.

 

Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Soup

This hearty soup is a starch-less variation of the popular leek and potato soup and makes an excellent winter stand-by. It stores well in the fridge and tastes great as leftovers. You can even make a double batch and freeze half of the soup to defrost for an easy meal on a cold day.

Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Soup
serves 6-8
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed (about 4-5 medium leeks)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 3/4 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound cauliflower, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2-3 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
green onions or chives for garnish (and cooked & crumbled bacon, if you'd like!)

1.) In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a few shakes of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the wine and stir.

2.) Add the cauliflower and the broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the cauliflower is soft, about 30 minutes.

3.) Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, you'll just have to ladle it in in batches.) Stir in the heavy cream and cheddar and adjust seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with chives/green onions/bacon and serve!