Look! A recipe with NO pumpkin in it! Wild huh? Didn’t think that was possibly didja?
Well, when we are not making pumpkin (there is pumpkin oatmeal in my oven right now! LOL)
Here’s my weekends so far: rehearsing for “It’s a Wonderful Life” the play and dinner theatre which is now SOLD OUT. 3 weeks until showtime!
This is a soup I have been tweaking and making for many years now. It is now soup season since we have snow on the ground. I know many people love the Panera version and this does not look like their soup… but it does taste similar to their soup. It is still awesome tasting with a broth base of cooked onion, broccoli and cheddar. But not quite as lengthy in ingredients as their version which contains: Water, Milk, Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese ([Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Sodium Phosphate, Milkfat, Salt, Apocarotenal [Color]), Heavy Cream, Carrots, Contains 2% or less of: Seasoning (Modified Corn Starch, Flour [Wheat Flour, Ascorbic Acid Added as Dough Conditioner, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Salt, Spices, Extractives of Paprika), Onions, Chicken Base (Chicken Meat and Chicken Juices, Salt, Hydrolyzed Soy and Corn Protein, Sugar, Flavoring, Potato Flour, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Carrot Powder and Turmeric), Butter (Cream, Salt), Modified Food Starch, Soybean Oil, Dijon Mustard (Water, Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Salt, White Wine, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Sugar, Spice), Nisin Preparation and Hot Pepper Sauce (Vinegar, Red Pepper, Salt).
You can make my original version. I prefer this one now since it easier to prepare and I almost always have these ingredients on hand to make a quick batch for the week’s lunches or dinner paired with homemade bread.
- 1Tb. unsalated butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 and ½ pounds frozen broccoli florets
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup milk, cream or fat free evaporated milk
- 4 ounces (1 cup) extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 Tb. mustard
- salt and pepper
- Toppings optional: bacon bits, extra cheese
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and allow to cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
- In the meantime, microwave your broccoli in a steam bowl or other microwave safe bowl. You may need to do this in two batches for about 4-5 minutes each. Depending on the strength of your microwave. This will thaw the broccoli.
- Add garlic to the cooked onion and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the thawed broccoli, broth and water. Simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 8 minutes or until broccoli is cooked through.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender to get some chunks-some pureed soup. Or use your blender. Add the soup back to the pot and add the milk, cheddar and mustard. Stir until melted and soup is hot again. I like chunks in my soup so I do not blend it all - but that is up to you.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cooked bacon if you would like to add some meat. Serve hot and enjoy!
