Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup

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Vegetarian/Gluten-free/Nut-free

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 4-5 servings

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board 

• Chef's knife 

• Dutch oven or stock pot

• Wooden spoon or rubber/silicone spatula

• Ladle, for serving

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 of a stick)

• 1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped fine

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour OR gluten-free flour

• 2 cups vegetable stock OR chicken stock

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small, bite-sized pieces

• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into small, bite sized pieces

• 1 large carrot, grated on the largest holes of a box grater

• 2 cups half & half or milk

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Procedure:

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened and just starting to turn golden, stirring occasionally (3-4 minutes).

2. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.

3. Add the all-purpose or gluten-free flour; stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture turns golden in color.

4. Add vegetable or chicken stock, broccoli and cauliflower pieces, shredded carrots, a hefty pinch of kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper, paprika, and oregano and mix well.

5. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovering a couple of times to stir.

6. Stir in the half & half or milk, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese (if using). Simmer mixture for an additional 4-5 minutes to bring the temperature back up (it will cool down a bit if your milk is cold).

7. Taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking. I usually add another couple of large pinches of kosher salt. If you find the soup to be too thick for your liking, add a little extra milk or broth to thin it out.

8. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To Serve: Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with additional shredded cheese, if desired. I almost always serve soup or chili with some type of bread (biscuits, crusty French bread, breadsticks, etc.), because I love having a dipper.

Adjusting for your diet: If you are a vegetarian, be sure to use vegetable broth. If you follow a vegan diet, you could try substituting dairy-free milk or cashew cream for the liquid dairy and dairy-free cheese shreds for the cheddar, but I have not tried this myself to verify how well it would work (if you try it-let me know!). I have directions on how to make an easy cashew cream in my recipe for Vegan Corn Chowder.

Tips:

• If you are not a fan of cauliflower or broccoli, you could easily omit one and double the other.

• The carrots could also be chopped or diced for this recipe if you prefer (or if you don't have a box grater).

• If you are grating your carrots, be sure to use care and stop grating when there is at least 1/2-an-inch of carrot left (don't be a hero, as we say in foods class. There is no need to peel the carrot first, just scrub it under cool water to remove any dirt.

• Whenever possible in a recipe such as this, grate your cheese yourself and avoid buying pre-shredded cheeses. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated with potato starch or powdered cellulose to keep the shreds from sticking together in the package; cheese that you grate yourself will melt much more smoothly since it is not treated with one of these anti-caking agents.

• Although the parmesan cheese is optional, I highly recommend adding it if you are able. The parmesan and cooked cauliflower add a subtle nuttiness to this soup which I found really delightful. Do not use the pre-grated parmesan here (that really only belongs on a slice of pizza, if then), if you're going to add this ingredient you should definitely be shredding your own from a block.

The Story:

I associate broccoli cheese soup with my first year of coaching 7/8 grade girls swimming, when I was in my 3rd or 4th year of teaching. I was actually a synchronized swimmer in high school (fun fact!), then I tried out competitive swimming in college (I went to a pretty small college so they were happy to have anyone on the team, even someone who had never raced before and didn't always know what they were doing). I wasn't particularly awesome at either, but I love to swim. I really wanted to coach something, so when the position was posted and I heard there weren't any applicants, I went for it.

One of my little fishies; my kids all LOVE to swim!

I was blessed to have an incredible mentor, the high school girl's swim coach, who helped me figure out how to do the MANY tasks a swim coach has to do. Writing practice schedules, working on technique, creating line-ups for meets, communicating meet info to parents, etc....it's a lot! On the nights we had meets, I wouldn't get home until around 8 or 9 o'clock at night, hungry and exhausted. My little treat to myself on those nights was to swing by Target and grab a container of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup and a little demi-baguette to scarf down when I got home.

When developing this recipe, I decided to take the classic broccoli cheddar soup we all know and love (rich, cheesy, creamy, and chalk full of broccoli), and make a few simple tweaks to amp up flavor and nutrition. Most people know that broccoli is a beautiful, healthy vegetable; full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. But what about broccoli's decidedly less popular cousin, the unsung hero, cauliflower? Cauliflower is a great source of the vitamin choline (which many people lack); it also provides antioxidants, fiber, and many nutrients such as folate. When you cook cauliflower, it's flavor is transformed from blank slate to an earthy, nutty masterpiece.

A dynamic duo, two nutrient-rich power houses!

The addition of parmesan cheese, which you don't always see in a broccoli cheddar soup recipe, was actually born from my idea to add cauliflower; both share a subtle, nutlike flavor that I thought would work really well together. My Flavor Bible (one of my favorite cooking resources) helped me decide on a few additional spices to turn up the flavor, oregano and paprika. The results were outstanding, this soup is so decadent and special! Everything you want out of your broccoli cheese soup, plus a little more you didn't know you wanted :)

This soup will be loved by all, but it's an especially great way to sneak a decent amount of veggies into your kids' bowls (cheese is usually an excellent way to do this)! My kids went bonkers for this soup, as I knew they would; my daughter even ate the cauliflower despite the fact that she "doesn't really care for cauliflower" (her words, not mine...).

Did you try making this soup? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy tasting!