Broccoli Cheese Soup

Hello loyal follower(s)

  Mr Nut really enjoys reading his copy of Cook's Illustrated and again he found a neat recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup.  What was great about this recipe was it contained 32 ounces broccoli and only 4.5 ounces cheese.  Even lacking real talent, Mr Nut was able to make the soup in about one and a half hours, just taking his time.
Take a look as the soup was made:

These were the  ingredients for the soup.  The recipe called for baby spinach to provide the green color but it was too expensive and the chief chef said Swiss Chard should work as well.  Of course she was correct.

All the cutting and chopping was finished, it was time to apply the heat.

The key was to OVER cook the broccoli, here the broccoli, onions, and the seasonings were sautéed then water and baking soda was added and the mess was cooked (covered) for 20 minutes.

As you can see the Swiss chard brought out the green color.  Without the swiss chard or spinach the soup would have been an unappetizing grey color.



The article that was with this recipe explained why over cooking the broccoli was needed.

Recipe follows:

À bientôt,
Mr Nut

BROCCOLI-CHEESE SOUP

Blogged on May1, 2011 revised November 19, 2011

   Modified From Cook's Illustrated, published March 1, 2011

Serves 6 people at 1 1/2 cups per serving

Carbohydrates per serving  14.1 g; calories 166.8

For total recipe: carbohydrates 84.7;  calories 1001

Overcooking the broccoli in the Broccoli-Cheese Soup recipe coaxed all the flavor out of it. Adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water sped up the cooking process, and pureeing baby spinach ( fresh or frozen) along with the other ingredients brightened the color.

Buying a 10 or 12 ounce package of frozen spinach and subdividing it into two ounce packets and refreezing them for future  use seems to be a god plan.

To make a vegetarian version of this soup, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth..

 INGREDIENTS

2  tablespoons (28 g) Smart Balance.                          Carbs 0, calories 160

2  pounds broccoli , florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices                   Carbs 59.7 g, calories 310 

1  medium onion (about 1 cup), roughly chopped           Carbs 16 g, calories 64

1/2 teaspoon  minced garlic                                         Carbs 0, calories  8

1 1/2  teaspoons dry mustard powder                           

pinch cayenne pepper (Red pepper)                                                

Sea salt                                                                  

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon baking soda                                            

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth. A 14 oz can will do.     Carbs 2 g, calories  30

2 ounces (60 g) baby spinach                                        Carbs 2 g, calories  14

3 ounces (3/4 cup,90 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded.Carbs 3 g, cal 240

1 1/2 ounces (about 3/8 cup,45 g) parmesan cheese , grated fine, plus extra for serving                                                                         Carbs 2 g, cal 175

Ground black pepper to taste                                        

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons Smart Balance in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add 2 pounds broccoli, 1 cup onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, “pinch” cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking. 

2. Add 2 cups broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach  and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to food processor with metal blades, add about half  of the cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to the uncovered Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.