Make It From Scratch: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I know I haven't posted here in eons.
Davy was sick for what felt like ages.
Like super, I only want to be in Mommy's arms all day, sick.
And of course there is just regular life to be lived--Aaron traveling to the Midwest for a week, teaching school to my kiddos, field trips, baseball practices starting up, and the like.
I have posted several times over at Lilly and the Brothers, so head over there and check out my latest post about my fitness journey, a recent hike the kids and I did, and my stream of consciousness piece on what I do.
It's all good stuff.

But what I am really here to do today is to share a quick post with you about this awesome soup I made last night.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
I know, I know.
I have felt the same way about this soup.
Either it is crazy fattening and rich, or made with gross, fake, ingredients like Velveeta and a can of cream of whatever soup.
I'm not into that.
But I have been on a broccoli kick, and when I saw the recipe, I had to try it.

It is basically a ton of broccoli, a couple cups of spinach, and a bit of cheese.
It is simple to make, full of good for you ingredients, full of flavor, low in calories, and did I mention it tastes really good?
It is rich, velvety, filling and has a delicious nutty flavor like you roasted the broccoli, but you didn't.
If you love broccoli soup, give it a try and see what you think.

The original recipe is from Cook's Illustrated.
I found it here.
The only thing I changed was to use all chicken broth instead of water.
You could use vegetable broth if you wanted to avoid the chicken.
But don't use all water--there isn't enough flavor.
The baking soda sounds weird, but it helps the broccoli cook faster and retain its color.
I used both cheeses, just a bit less than was called for.
But even with the cheese, this soups is only a 145 calories per serving.
A serving is 1 cup and I found it to be very filling.
(Yes, I am a calorie counter now--or at least aware of them for the first time in my life.  All part of my fitness journey.  You can read about it here.)
I liked this soup so much I can't wait to make it again.
In fact, I have another head of broccoli in the fridge, waiting to be turned into soup.
Let me know if you like it!

Love from,
Greta

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1" pieces, stems trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces (I used the stems too.  They add great flavor--just peel and chop)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
3-4 cups wanter
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 ounces baby spinach (2 cups loosely packed)
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup) plus extra for serving
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Sautee the broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 6 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and the baking soda.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring only once!
Add the broth and 2 cups of water and increase the heat to medium-high.
When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
Transfer half of the soup to a blender, add the cheddar and parmesan cheese, and blend until smooth.
Transfer the soup in the blender to a bowl, and blend the remaining soup. (or blend it all if you like a smoother soup)
Transfer all of the soup back to the dutch-oven and simmer over medium-high heat.
Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding up to 1 cup of water, depending on what you like.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.