broccoli soup today

As far as I know, my mother never cooked broccoli.  Perhaps she didn't care for it.  Growing up, I had never heard of broccoli anyway.  Maybe Mother did plant it at some point and it turned out for her the same way it did for me, although I doubt that.  I have never had a success with broccoli except for one time years ago, and it wasn't such a success when I saw green cabbage worms all over those plants.  Part of the problem was that those worms are the same color as broccoli, so you didn't always see them... especially when they burrowed deep amongst the florets, hiding.  Oh, but if you cook those heads of broccoli for the freezer you will find every worm you missed:  Cooked cabbage worms turn white after they're cooked; that's when you find them.

Later on, I tried to grow broccoli, but there would only be a tiny little floret or two on the big stem.  

Broccoli isn't that high-priced anyway, so I buy it regularly, which suits me better than finding fat, white, cooked worms in my food.

I have broccoli on my mind because I spent the last hour making one of the best soups I've ever tasted:  Broccoli Cheese Soup.  I'm making it from this particular recipe because it's better than other recipes for broccoli soup I've tried.  The lady who put the recipe on her website said it's "better than Panera", although I don't think I've ever been to Panera.  I was SO anxious to have some; it's already done, and I have at least an hour-and-a-half to wait for dinner.  I'm not sure I can be in the same house with it without sampling some.  

In fact, I'll be right back; a little sample can't hurt anything.

Delicious!  I only had about half a cup of it, and have room for a lot more than that at dinner.  Here's the recipe, from Avery Cooks' blog:

The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)

This is the best broccoli cheese soup. Not only that, it’s some of the best soup I’ve ever tasted, period. If you like Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, this blows the pants off it. It’s an easy soup to make and is ready in 1 hour. I kept the soup vegetarian by using low-sodium vegetable stock rather than chicken stock, and made it healthier by using fat-free half-and-half. I love broccoli and used plenty because I prefer big chunks of broccoli in every bite but you can use less. I also used some stalks to make use of the entire head and not waste any, but you can use florets only if preferred. There’s a few optional spices like smoked paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. They’re not mandatory if you don’t keep them on hand, but they do add extra depth of flavor. Use a high-quality cheddar cheese that you grate yourself. Read the recipe at least twice before beginning. You’ll be rewarded with the best, creamiest, richest, and most amazing soup.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 small or medium sweet yellow onion, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced finely
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (chicken stock may be substituted)
• 2 cups half-and-half*
• 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, diced into bite-size pieces + 1 cups stems, optional (I used 3 cups florets and 1 cup stems
• 2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika, optional and to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder, optional and to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)
• 8 ounces grated high quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, with a small amount reserved for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter, the diced onion, and sauté   over medium heat until the onion is translucent and barely browned, about 4 minutes. Stir intermittently.
2. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
3. In a large heavy-bottom pot add 4 tablespoons butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened. You are making a roux and it’s very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later.
4. Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly.
5. Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly.
6. Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
7. While mixture is simmering, chop the broccoli and carrots. After simmering 15 to 20 minutes, add the broccoli, carrots, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
8. Add the salt, pepper, optional paprika, optional dry mustard powder, and optional cayenne. If you don’t have these seasonings on hand, it’s okay, but they do add subtle depth of flavor. Stir to combine.
9. Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
10. While soup simmers, grate the cheese. It’s important to use a high-quality cheese (not the cheapest thing you can find) because the flavor of the soup depends on it. Do not use pre-grated cheese in ziptop bags because that cheese is resistant to melting and won’t incorporate well. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls. Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated fully, less than 1 minute.
11. Transfer soup to bowls, garnish with reserved cheese, and serve immediately. Soup will keep airtight for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the microwave. I find the soup is less likely to ‘break’ or separate when reheated in the micro rather than on the stovetop, but do what you think is best. I don’t recommend freezing the soup because I feel like the cheese and half-and-half will not do well upon thawing and soup could break, but I haven’t actually tried freezing it.

Or you can find the recipe HERE.  I did not take her advice about buying quality cheese; I use what I have.  Inflation is giving me enough headaches without worrying about gourmet-quality food.  And I did use chicken broth, not vegetable broth.

We're having a bonus warm day, up into the mid-60's; then the bottom falls out and winter comes back.  People can say what they want about roller-coaster weather days making them sick, but I prefer having a warm spell after each cold spell.  It lets me get out in the sun and fresh air for awhile.  I'm itching to plant some things in the garden, and there are some seeds that would be fine to plant right now:  Lettuce, spinach, and radishes don't care it it snows on them.  I need to call a couple of places and see if they have their garden seeds in yet.

Well, I have some time to wait for dinner, so I think I'll find a book to read and get on the recumbent bike.