Name: Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons butter; 1 large carrot, shredded; 1 large shallot, chopped; salt and pepper; 3 Tablespoons gluten-free flour (I like Domata or Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Sweet Rice Flour); 3 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth; 2 cups milk (I used skim); 3 cups small-chopped fresh broccoli florets; 8oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving

I made some Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup for your soul (and your soul, and your soul, and your soul!) Sorry, having an Oprah moment here.

I feel like I can call this Broccoli Cheddar Soup perfect because I know what un-perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup tastes like. My first attempt at making this creamy, cozy soup was when I was 13 years old. I stood at the stove with my perm, big bangs, glasses and stretchy pants (just painting you a picture here,) rubbed my hands together in anticipation and exclaimed, let’s do this!

I don’t remember where the recipe came from but I DO remember that it didn’t even call for milk or cream. (The more likely explanation is that my novice-chef-self glossed over that important part of the ingredient list but I digress.) I boiled my broth, added my broccoli, then dumped in a truckload of cheese. What could go wrong?

Uh, everything.

Instead of morphing into a thick and luxurious soup, the cheese turned into a previously unknown substance, wrapping its stringy tentacles around the broccoli crowns before descending to the bottom of the pot aka its final resting place as an inedible, broccoli-studded orange blob. I’ll never forget it.

Two decades and some change later I stepped back up to the proverbial plate and, after a few tries, achieved the perfect batch of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Redemption is mine!

Senegalese Soup

The key to perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup is timing and temperature – I’ll show you how. Oh and freshly grated cheese, and milk, not cream. That’s right, heavy cream is not necessary for the most cozy, creamy bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup you’ve ever made at home. Pinky swear!

Tips for Making Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Use whatever milk you’ve got on hand but know that I achieved thick and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup perfection with skim milk. Yes, you heard that right. No heavy cream needed.
You MUST use freshly grated cheddar cheese to get creamy broccoli cheese soup. Pre-grated cheese is coated in anti-caking agents which means it won’t melt as smoothly.
When it’s time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.
The temperature you cook Broccoli Cheese Soup at is key to making sure it doesn’t end up grainy or curdled. Medium heat is best for dairy-based soups so it doesn’t boil and curdle.

How to Make This Recipe

Start by melting butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat then add grated carrot and chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the carrots are tender, 3-5 minutes.

Sprinkle in gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don’t need to eat GF) then whisk to form a paste and cook for 1 minute.

Next, slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once everything is nice and smooth, add milk. Again, use whatever you’ve got on hand – I like skim milk, or 2% milk for a bit of a richer flavor.

Turn the heat up just slightly to bring the broth to a simmer – NOT BOIL – stirring occasionally, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice fresh broccoli florets into small, bite-sized pieces.

Add the broccoli to the soup then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the broccoli is tender.

Remove the pot from the heat then add freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese in three batches, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Let each batch slowly melt before adding the next to make sure there’s no clumping whatsoever.

Now, I happen to like bigger hunks of broccoli bobbing in my Broccoli Cheese Soup but if you like yours a little more smooth, take a potato masher to the soup and mash until you get the texture you like. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. I like TONS of fresh cracked black pepper in my Perfect Broccoli Cheese Soup!

Ladle the Broccoli Cheese Soup into bowls then top with a bit more shredded cheddar cheese and dig in. Like I said…perfect! Thick, creamy – total comfort food – enjoy!

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