Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Ham
This chunky, creamy, veggie-laden recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup should definitely make it on your "to do" list this week. Hearty and satisfying while still packing a hefty nutritional punch, this chowder-like soup is sure to please even the pickiest of palates.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion diced small
- 4-6 cloves Garlic chopped
- 2 C Cooked Ham diced. Optional, read notes.
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- ¼ C AP Flour or sub gluten free
- 1 C Milk
- 1 C Cream
- 3 C Chicken Bone Broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Paprika preferably hot
- 1 teaspoon Dried Mustard Powder
- 1 ½ lb Broccoli torn into florets and stems cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 Carrots cut into coins
- 10 oz Sharp Cheddar or sub cheese of choice, grated
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in sauté pan. When shimmering, add onion and cook until beginning to soften and become translucent, 2-3 minutes.Add garlic and ham to pan, cooking until the garlic is fragrant - about 1 minute. Set mix aside.
- Melt butter over medium heat in dutch oven. When it is bubbling, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is no longer raw. The roux should smell slightly nutty and have a light golden color. This takes 2-3 minutes.Slowly add milk and cream while whisking constantly to combine. Follow with broth, continuing to stir until it is uniform.
- Add ham and onion mix to the dutch oven along with the broccoli and carrots. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are al dente, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
- Add cheese to pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!
Notes
Serving and Storing - Serve warm and enjoy with a hunk of crusty bread! Soup will last for up to a week in the refrigerator. Due to the heavy dairy content, it is not recommended that you freeze this soup.
Vegetarian Version - Omit ham and sub vegetable broth for bone broth. If you like the smoky flavor, add up to ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke ~or~ opt for a smoked cheese instead. You can use entirely smoked cheddar, or do a mix of smoked and sharp or mild if you prefer. Smoked gouda would also be pretty stellar.
Roux - The roux can be made with gluten free flour if you prefer. If you are more of a visual learner, this video is quite informative. Note that you will want to add the liquid at the "light stage" shown here.
Nutrition
Calories: 436kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 22gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 744mgPotassium: 543mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3982IUVitamin C: 86mgCalcium: 373mgIron: 2mg
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