Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bread Bowl

This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #Ad

My 315th recipe, "Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bread Bowl," a perfectly rich, creamy and ooey gooey soup to warm you up in this cold winter weather. Made with the love of broccoli, loaded up with the warmth of Borden® Cheese and served in a crusty bread bowl; this soup is a perfect match for the definition of comfort food.

My love affair with homemade soups extends for a short duration of probably only a few years. There was a time in my life when soup just meant something which was served at a restaurant along with appetizers. Or something which comes out straight from a packet, just simmered in water until ready.

The whole perspective took a big u-turn about a few years back, when I made my first batch of homemade soup. It was so easy to make, loaded with flavor and so comforting to have by the bowlful without any guilt. Ever since, homemade soups have become one of my favorites to rely upon for dinner, any time of the year.

Living in Texas, I never experienced what a real winter storm is. Winters were always mild with only an occasional drop in mercury, and it was all manageable. I also do a lot of roadtrips, but it would mostly be in the months between spring and fall. Most of the time, winter is for me to hibernate in the comfort of my home.

However, my perspective of winter changed while on a recent road trip to the peaks of New Mexico and Colorado. This was the first time I was somewhere outside during winter. Every day of the trip, while I was just doing fine with all the protective winter fabrics, I kept craving food which was warm and comforting.

Foods loaded with cheese which could warm me from the inside were the norm of the day. Most days, it was Tex-Mex classics like cheese quesadillas, bean enchiladas smothered with melted cheese, etc. I never regretted having so much cheese on any of the days.

On one such day, we visited a classic American diner for lunch. While I was extremely hungry on that day, I did not have many vegetarian options. The only ones they had were a rich and creamy broccoli soup and a perfectly made grilled cheese sandwich. The warm soup paired with the sandwich was a perfect combination for the weather.

It was a day when I realized how simple foods can be such delicious treats. Fortunately or unfortunately this year, the weather has decided to stay cold quite often in Texas, as well. My homemade version of the Broccoli Cheddar Soup has become a savior on several occasions already.

The Broccoli Cheddar Soup itself uses only a few ingredients and is quite easy to make in the comfort of your home. All you need is a large head of broccoli to start with. You use a combination of milk, broth to give body to the soup and flour to thicken the soup.

Just a pinch of ground nutmeg is the perfect seasoning for the pot of simmering soup, along with the spiciness from the freshly ground black pepper. And finally the cheddar cheese to share an ooey, gooey moment with the soup.

Always the secret of making a delicious batch of homemade soup is to use the best of ingredients you can find. Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Shreds and Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds are the real secrets behind this soup recipe.

A soup that is made uniquely special by the love that goes into Borden® Cheese. It’s crafted perfectly to sit down and enjoy with your loved ones. I found my Borden® Cheese at the Tom Thumb Supermarket in Irving, TX, but check out this store locator to find Borden® Cheese near you!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Revathi Palani

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bread Bowl, a perfectly rich, creamy and ooey gooey soup to warm you up in this cold winter weather, made with the love of broccoli.

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Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 43 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 4 Tbsp Butter (½ stick)
• ½ medium Onion (finely chopped)
• 3 Tbsp All purpose flour
• 1 ½ Cups Milk
• 1 ½ Cups Vegetable Broth (Low Sodium)
• ½ tsp Salt (adjust per taste)
• ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper (adjust per taste)
• ⅛ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 2 Cups Broccoli florets (heaping)
• ¾ Cup Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Shreds + more for garnish
• ¾ Cup Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Mild Cheddar Shreds + more for garnish
• 2 Round Crusty Bread

Instructions

 

• First, melt the butter in a pan and add the chopped onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent.
  
   
  
   
• Now, add the all purpose flour to the pan and saute the flour until nicely golden brown.
  
   
• Slowly add the milk and keep stirring continuously until mixed well without any lumps.
  
   
• Add the vegetable broth and mix well. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg, and mix well. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes until the raw flavor of flour is gone and the mixture thickens.
  
   
  
   
• Now add the broccoli florets to the mix and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the broccoli is cooked through. Turn off the flame.
  
   
  
   
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.
  
   
• Finally, add the cheese to the soup, and mix well until combined. Taste the soup and add more salt / pepper, as needed. Also, add hot water to adjust the consistency of soup, per your desire.
  
   
• Now, take a round crusty bread and slice off the top. Using a spoon/knife, gently scoop off the inside and shape it in the form of a bowl.
  
   
  
   
• Ladle the hot soup into the bread bowl, garnish with the cheese shreds and serve immediately.
  
  

Notes | FAQ

- If you don't have an immersion blender, let the soup mixture to cool down to room temperature. Then use a regular blender / mixer to pulse the soup. Return it to the pan and warm it through.

- Roughly puree the soup. You should get some small pieces of broccoli while eating. It should not be blended completely smooth like a baby food.

- I used a combination of sharp and mild cheddar for balanced flavor. You can use as per your choice.

- You can use the scooped out bread portion to make bread crumbs for later use.