{"id":126,"date":"2010-05-11T04:05:38","date_gmt":"2010-05-11T04:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiddy.wordpress.com\/?p=126"},"modified":"2010-05-11T04:05:38","modified_gmt":"2010-05-11T04:05:38","slug":"broccoli-cheddar-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=126","title":{"rendered":"Broccoli-Cheddar Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Broccoli…ranks right up there with spelling the word vacuum…and why I normally refer to it as “broc.” – it’s just easier.<\/p>\n

Don’t even get me started on gray vs. grey…<\/p>\n

I woke up this morning to dreary weather. It was gray\/grey and overcast with a drizzle. Rain and high winds were slated for the afternoon. I knew the hub was riding his motorcycle to work, so I was worried about that …enter the never-ending headache’s return and I knew it was going to be a sucky Monday. No worries, I pressed on. I got to work just before the rain started really coming down.<\/p>\n

It was definitely soup weather. This was confirmed when I got caught in the middle of the storm without an umbrella. By the time I got from building A to my car, I was soaked. It was at that moment that I decided to make soup for dinner.<\/p>\n

On my way home from work, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up the bread for the bowls and some of the ingredients that I didn’t have on hand. I had come across a “Copy That!” recipe in the January\/February Food Network Magazine for Panera’s Broccoli-Cheddar Soup. It just happens to be one of Hilly’s favorites, so I thought I’d try mastering it. She’s under the weather with a cold, so she couldn’t try it in person…but there was enough for the freezer for a later date.<\/p>\n

The Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Disclaimer: This is definitely not a low-fat soup…see all of those cubes of butter? Full fat half-and-half…yep! I was not going for healthy this evening. I was going for comfort. I can think of several ways to cut down on the goodness<\/span> calories. Fat free half-and-half, reduced fat cheese, etc. Not sure there really is an etc., but there has got to be other ways.<\/p>\n

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
\n1 Small Onion
\n1\/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
\n2 Cups Half-and-Half
\n3 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
\n2 Bay Leaves
\n1\/4 Teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg (note: could use a grinder – birthday hint…)
\nKosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
\n7 inch Round Bread Bowls – the only fresh out of the oven ones were the Dutch Crunch – it was fine, but sourdough would be better
\n4 Cups Broccoli Florets (worked out to be one head)
\n1 Large Carrot, Diced
\n2 1\/2 Cups (about 8 ounces) Grated Sharp White and Yellow Cheddar Cheese<\/p>\n

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I added the onion once the butter started melting over medium heat…cook onions until tender – about 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

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Adding the flour and juggling the camera one-handed proved to be a little difficult.<\/p>\n

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Whisk in the flour and cook until golden brown (took about 3 minutes)<\/p>\n

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Gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth – not exactly sure how you get it super smooth with the onions…but close enough.<\/p>\n

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Action shot…hold your excitement…I added the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg…<\/p>\n

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Then I seasoned with salt and ground pepper. I brought things to a simmer, reduced the heat to medium-low and then cooked uncovered until thickened – 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

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I diced up the carrot, shredded the cheese and got the broccoli florets ready for the pot.<\/p>\n

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I then got the bread bowls prepped and ready for filling…<\/p>\n

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I added the broccoli and diced carrots to the broth mixture and simmered until tender – it took just over 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

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I broke out my craptastic work horse of a blender…tried a smoothie blender and it sucked, this one has done just fine. I used a ladle to transfer the soup into the blender and then let it rip…(note: I just used the blend button – make sure you remove the bay leaves before the puree process) – I had to blend in two batches. Option 2 – if you have one, you can use an immersion blender right in the pot.<\/p>\n

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I then whisked the cheese into the green slop \ud83d\ude09 over medium heat. The recipe gives the option to add 3\/4 cup water at this point, I didn’t need to do that, the consistency was perfect.<\/p>\n

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Soup is served! Yes, it really is that green.<\/p>\n

I thought it really did taste like the Panera\u00a0soup. The only difference being that I don’t think Panera\u00a0purees it to the level that the “copy cat” recipe called for. Dan was not a fan of the texture. He prefers the Broccoli-Cheddar soup from Boudin Bakery\u00a0at Disney’s California Adventure Park. I will now be on the search for that recipe.<\/p>\n

I got 4 servings out of the\u00a0batch and put 2 in the freezer for future lunches. Next time I think I’ll just drive to Panera to shell out $6.00 and some change.<\/p>\n

All in all…I’m glad I tried it.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Broccoli…ranks right up there with spelling the word vacuum…and why I normally refer to it as “broc.” – it’s just easier. Don’t even get me started on gray vs. grey… I woke up this morning to dreary weather. It was gray\/grey and overcast with a drizzle. Rain and high winds were slated for the afternoon. … <\/p>\n

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