It’s not time to put away the sweaters just yet. Chunky Cheesy Broccoli Soup is comfort in a bowl, an over-sized cable knit sweater on a cold, dreary spring day. This is a cozy, rich, stick-to-your ribs soup. I frequently stumble upon recipes online that claim to be “better-than-Panera” creamy broccoli soup. I can’t speak to how this recipe compares, because I’ve never had the Panera version, but this version is very, very good. Just a bit indulgent, with enough broccoli and carrots to alleviate any guilt you may be feeling about the heavy cream and the cheese.
If you have the time, toasted sourdough croutons would be a wonderful addition to this Chunky Cheesy Broccoli Soup, but just a hunk of sourdough for dipping would be wonderful too. Or even crackers – (gluten-free) oyster crackers, of course.
Chunky Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of broccoli (or 3 cups of frozen broccoli florets)
- 1 small onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 T ghee
- 1 t salt (or celery salt if you have it on hand)
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups water
- 2 – 3 T soy sauce
- 2 t thyme
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Prep the veg – If using frozen broccoli, pull it of the freezer and determine if the flowerets should be smaller. If so, measure it out and leave it on the counter to thaw just enough to chop into bite-sized pieces. If using fresh peel the stem, and chop the whole head, florets and stems, into bite-sized chunks. Dice the onion. Chop the carrot and celery into semi-large pieces.
- Start the base – Melt the ghee in your soup pot. Add the onions, carrot, and celery and 1 t of salt (or celery salt). Cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots are beginning to soften. Sprinkle the vegetables with the tapioca starch and stir until the vegetables are coated and there are no more dry bits of starch.
- Finish the base and cook the broccoli; grate the cheese – Slowly stir in the chicken stock while stirring. Once it is incorporated, slowly pour in the cream. Once the mixture begins to thicken, slowly pour in the water. Add the broccoli, soy sauce and thyme and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender. Grate the cheese while the chowder is simmering.
- Finish – When the broccoli is tender, remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Cover and let sit for 10 – 15 minutes. Stir again before serving.
INGREDIENT NOTES: You should use whatever cheese you have in your cheese drawer, but if you’re shopping for cheese for this soup, I recommend Boar’s Head 3 Pepper Colby Jack Cheese. It’s melty and creamy, with a bit more of a kick than pepper jack cheese normally delivers. You probably have everything else you need to make this Chunky Cheesy Broccoli Soup without making a trip to the store. If you don’t have tapioca starch, corn starch will do. Who wants to bundle up and head out to the store, when you can stay home, and have a steaming bowl of this soup on the table in under an hour?
Then maybe a nap – curl up with a kitty and a warm belly.
