Cream of Broccoli Soup

I just LOVE creamed soups!   Think I’ll make this one again today, but only half a recipe, as I only have a 10-oz crown of broccoli on hand.  My usual broccoli and cheese soup is chunkier and has more cheese in it, but today “cheesy” is not my goal…………rather creamy is what I want today.  I usually use water when making this soup, but if you have enough on hand, using homemade chicken broth will make this soup even tastier.  We actual like the little bit of bite the optional Sriracha brings to the flavor profile on this one, but omit if you’re not a fan.  This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto and Primal diets.  I don’t think coconut milk would be so good in this recipe, so Paleo folks will want to pass on this one.  I don’t add salt to recipes with cheese, as there is so much sodium in cheeses to begin with.  I am extremely sodium sensitive and have cut back so much on salt usage over the last 20 years, I actually don’t LIKE my food too salty anymore.  Using less brings out the natural sweetness of sooooo many green veggies, broccoli included.  If sodium is a health problem for you, you can always cut back (or even eliminate) the cheese in this recipe.  🙂

INGREDIENTS:

20-oz. head of broccoli, cut into chunks

Water to cover nicely, (about 3-3½ cups)

¼ tsp. coarsely black pepper

½ tsp. onion powder

10 oz. shredded or sliced Cheddar cheese or a mixture of American Deluxe and Cheddar (I did the latter)

1 c. whipping cream

VARIATIONS:  Add 2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce.  Add 4 slices browned, chopped bacon.

With Bacon Added. Mmmmm!

DIRECTIONS:  Cut up broccoli into chunks, stems and all.  Place in a large soup pot.  Cover with water or homemade broth, if you prefer a richer soup.  Add salt, pepper, onion powder and stir.  Next add the Sriracha sauce (if using).  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low.  Simmer until the broccoli is quite tender and then remove from heat.  You can either process the broccoli in batches with a bit of the broth in your food processor/blender (do not over fill blender when puréeing hot foods or it will rise out of the container), OR, if you own a stick blender, you can wait to do this step.  Add the processed broccoli back to the pot and place back over a very low fire.   Add the cheese, stirring to facilitate melting and blending.  If the fire is low enough, it should not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the cheese appears to be fully melted, add the cream and stir until it slightly thickens.   If using a stick blender, place in the pot and pressing down on the broccoli chunks, work your way through the pot contents, beginning to break them up a bit.  Once all chunks have been smushed, blend the soup pot contents in a continuous motion (keeping stick head under the surface at all times) until your soup is uniform/smooth to your liking.  This step creates a frothy surface, but that settles down with a few minutes of waiting and gentle stirring.   If the soup is not thick enough for you,  thicken with a light dusting or 2 (or 3) of xanthan gum (or your preferred thickener).   Thickening will eliminate all remaining traces of the “frothy” surface.  Serve with your favorite low-carb rolls or crackers. 🙂

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 6 large servings, each contains:

315 calories, 26.4 g  fat, 9.96 carbs, 2.49 g  fiber, 7.48 g  NET CARBS, 11.86 g  protein, 500 mg sodium (use less cheese to reduce sodium)