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broccoli cheese soup

Discussion in 'Cooking' started by Revengeofthenerds, Feb 24, 2018.

  1. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    Got back from the ER a little while ago; instead of buying those pre-cut matchstick carrots (first mistake) I decided to do it myself with a cheese grater. Potato peeler sliced the tip of my finger off because I wasn't looking (fatal mistake). Five numbing shots and half a dozen stitches later I was back in action for what turned out to be the best soup I've made yet......


    Like seemingly everyone else on this board, measurements are approximate and to taste.

    In the soup pot:
    - sweat one yellow onion in butter. Take as much butter as you need then add a slice or two more. Once it is translucent, set on the lowest heat.
    - add carrots (grated, or in my case, store bought matchstick) to taste
    - add minced garlic to taste as well (since I had an injured finger, I had to go with the type from the jar; I used at least a table spoon, likely a lot more)

    In a separate small pot make a roux. First melt one stick of butter. Then on low heat add at least 1/4 cup flour. Whisk together, adding more flower or butter if needed, until it turns into a bit thicker than toothpaste and a savory yellow color. Take it off the heat immediately.

    Go back to your soup pot. The carrots, garlic, and onions should have been making love for at least 10 minutes. Add at least 2-3 cups of chicken stock. Mix in at least 1-2 cups of heavy whipping cream (to taste). Spatula in the roux. Mix together thoroughly on low heat. Add in more butter (to taste) and flour (to desired thickness).

    Then add the broccoli. I used a mix of the diced parts of the tops of the stem, as well as just the tip tops. I wanted a variety of broccoli texture. This is totally up to you. I probably used around 1 lbs total.

    Season with nutmeg, allspice, paprika, and chili powder. Go a little heavier on the nutmeg and allspice than you'd think though, a few extra taps on the bottle. The chili powder is that "something is missing" spice, so you don't need a lot of it

    Let the soup simmer on medium low for about 30 min.

    Top with fresh ground pepper and a heap of sharp cheddar. Bread dips really well in this.


    If I had any changes, next time I am going to try diced potatoes and more garlic. But I give this a solid 92-93 out of 100 on both the deliciousness and presentation scale.
     
  2. bewildered

    bewildered
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    @Revengeofthenerds I made your soup!... with some minor adjustments. I just can't help myself. Anyway, it looks like you made too little roux at the beginning and had to compensate later in the recipe with extra flour. So, I scaled that up and used 1 heaping cup of flour with about 1.5c of butter and let it get fairly brown to cook all that raw flour taste out, and chose to use bacon lard with the onions. Ended up using 8 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups heavy cream, and 1.4lbs broccoli (2 crowns, weight on receipt). I also had some leftover chicken from last night, not even half a lb, that I needed to use up. Since it was cooked with onions, peppers, and jalapenos and seasoned with paprika, chili powder, and garlic, the chicken made a good addition and I made sure to smash it into smaller pieces. I couldn't find the allspice but I did use the nutmeg you suggested and probably used 6 cloves of fresh garlic. The nutmeg gives it some good depth and a little sweetness. Super subtle and a great addition to the soup.

    It's simmering now and I have a fresh sourdough boule, sharp cheddar, and some fresh cracked peppercorns waiting for dinner. I taste tested. It's really fucking good.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    Looks EXACTLY like mine did!!! Glad you like it, I'm not sure about y'all's weather, but down here's it's fucking horrible -- cold and raining -- so it's perfect soup weather.

    You did the right thing by adding the nutmeg. I know it seems a little off the wall but once you try the soup with it, you totally understand why it's in there.
     
  4. bewildered

    bewildered
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    It's the month of soups over here. It warms to the 60s in the afternoon but we wake up to temps in the 30s. Cooking is way more fun when you have seasons to follow.

    Thanks for sharing your recipe!
     
  5. Nettdata

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    Looks damn tasty, and I'm not usually a fan of broccoli soup. I'll have to try it out. The pics made me a believer.

    And yeah, the weather absolutely sucks right now... literally freezing, with sleet/snow-ish shit falling... perfect weather for soups, chilies, braising, shepherd's pie, etc.
     
  6. bewildered

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    I really like how this recipe turned out because the use of the stems made a much milder flavor. And the cheese flavor was there but didn't smack you in the face. Sometimes the cheese in other recipes is too much and just an effort to cover up the broccoli taste.
     
  7. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    The best soups are subtle, and the ingredients should balance each other, at least in my opinion. If I want big and bold, I'm grilling a steak or doing BBQ. Broccoli cheese soup should be about the broccoli, carrots, and whatever else is in there, with the soup part as a background. The cheese or broth or whatever shouldn't overwhelm you like "I'm here bitch!!!"

    Appreciate the love on this recipe. I pulled it out of my ass, so the compliments make me feel like I did something smart for a change.

    Unfortunately, I have the scars to show for this one haha