Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 large carrots, grated
- 6 ounces Colby Jack cheese, grated
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Cook Aromatics
Using a large pot or deep Dutch oven, melt butter on medium heat.
Sauté onions until soft and translucent (~5-7 minutes).
Add garlic and continue cooking until the aroma is apparent (1 minute).
Roux Mixture
After sautéing all of the garlic and onions, sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir with a spatula for two full minutes (the idea is to cook out the raw flour taste).
This mixture creates what is known as a roux.
Roux provides thickening for future use in soups.
Incorporate Milk and Cream
With continual stirring, use a slow stream to incorporate the milk into the roux mixture until the mixture is smooth and paste-like with no lumps remaining.
After incorporating all the milk into the roux, gradually add the heavy cream and chicken or vegetable broth, continually mixing until thoroughly blended.
Seasoning
Lastly, mix in salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and thyme to the soup base and then continue to mix until the soup thickens.
Cook Vegetables
Once your soup has thickened, mix in the broccoli and carrots.
Reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
The goal is to cook the broccoli until the stems are fork-tender.
Carefully monitor the soup, as boiling will scorch the bottom.
Add Cheese
When the soup is finished cooking, remove from heat.
To complete the recipe, combine the grated Colby Jack cheese with the grated sharp cheddar cheese inside the cooking pot and gently mix until the cheese has melted into the soup.
Taste your finished product and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 large carrots grated
- 6 ounces Colby Jack cheese grated
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Melt butter in large pot over medium heat and cook onion until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in milk, then cream and stock until smooth.
- Add salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and thyme.
- Stir in broccoli and carrots, bring to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and cook 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender.
- Remove from heat, add both cheeses and stir until melted.
