Cheesy Broccoli Goodness!

It was a long day of work for both Kat and I and neither of us felt like investing too much time in the kitchen this evening. We needed something quick and easy for dinner tonight.

Kat called me on her way home and reminded me that we had several small crowns of broccoli in the refrigerator from our recent produce haul and requested that I make a pot of Broccoli Cheese Soup. I was all over that idea like stink on garlic!

 

The thing is, I’ve never made Broccoli Cheese Soup before so this was going to be something new. I figured it couldn’t be too hard and I had everything I needed right in the refrigerator. To add creaminess, I could have used cream or half-and-half but chose to use evaporated whole milk instead. Using chicken stock and wine are key to the rich flavor, though vegetable broth could be used instead of chicken stock, if that’s what you prefer.

The following recipe is small, the two of us had a hearty dinner and had a small serving left over. Start by making a roux with:

3 T butter

3 T flour

Combine and cook over medium heat until the roux begins to take on a nutty scent. Add to this:

1/2 c finely chopped onion

a pinch of salt

Stir the onions into the roux and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add:

3 c chicken stock

Blend well, thoroughly combining the flour into the stock. When the soup begins to simmer, stir in:

about 2 c chopped broccoli florets

1/2 c white wine

1 T lemon juice

1/2 t black pepper

salt to taste

Allow the soup to simmer until the broccoli is “al dente.” Slowly stir in:

3/4 c evaporated milk

Reduce heat to low and, a little at a time, stir in:

2-1/2 – 3 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese

a pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

Stir until the cheese is melted and serve.

Simple and fast, the whole meal took about 30 minutes to prepare. And best of all, Kat raved about it and made me promise to make it again. That’s a promise I plan on keeping - often!