Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Inspired by a method we learned from America's Test Kitchen, this soup is bringing some green goodness to your tables. It might feel strange to make a hot soup during summer, but we've expertly timed this recipe to drop right as we come into some rainy forecasts, and it's a great use of our gorgeous crop of summer broccoli and abundant spinach. 

This soup is smooth and creamy, so it relies on some blending. This can be achieved with an immersion blender or regular blender, whatever you have access to. If using a blender, allow the soup to cool a bit first, then return back to heat on the stove top. 

If you have some carrots, onion, or celery hanging around... you can add those to the soup in the first step, but we love the simplicity of two staple veggies: broccoli and spinach. The recipe calls for a few garlic cloves, but if you're a garlic lover like me, you can use a whole bulb. 

One last note- it is best to shred the cheese yourself instead of relying on a pre-shredded cheddar. Pre-shredded cheeses have additives that keep the pieces from fully melting, giving the soup a grainy texture. If you already have shredded cheese and don't want to buy more, you can minimize the effects by rinsing the shreds in cold water. 

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Ingredients

1-2 heads of broccoli
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken bone broth
2-3 cups of water
2 BIG handfuls of spinach
​1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 
salt & pepper

Method of Preparation

1. Prepare the broccoli by cutting the head into 1 inch florets. Then peel and trim the stems and slice thinly. You want 5-6 cups of chopped broccoli. 

2. In a large dutch oven melt the butter on medium heat. Add the chopped broccoli, garlic, and a big pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Next add 1 cup of water and the baking soda and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring a few times just to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

4. Remove the lid and add 3 cups of stock + 1 cup of water. Bring back to a simmer and add 2 large handfuls of spinach, cooking until wilted. 

5. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, adding all the cheese and some Dijon mustard. If using a standard blender, blend half of the soup, pour into a bowl and then follow with the other half, returning everything back to the dutch oven. Blend for about 1 minute until the spinach and broccoli are broken down.

6. Simmer the blended soup on the stove and taste, adding more salt if needed. If soup is too thick for your liking, add up to a cup of water (or even milk). 

7. Serve with more shredded cheese, croutons, chili crisp, chopped bacon, or your favorite soup toppings.