Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Table salt
- 3–4 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 ounces baby spinach (3 loosely packed cups)
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated fine (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
- Ground black pepper
Sauté the Vegetables
Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the broccoli, onion, garlic powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cook while stirring frequently. Continue until the mixture is fragrant and starts to soften, which should take about 6 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and the baking soda. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the broccoli is very soft, around 20 minutes, stirring once during the process.
Add Broth and Greens
Stir in the chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Once the mixture reaches a simmer, add the spinach and cook until wilted, which should take about 1 minute.
Blend the Soup
Transfer half of the soup to a blender. Add the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, then blend until smooth, which will take about 1 minute.
Pour the blended soup into a medium bowl, and repeat the blending process with the remaining half of the soup.
Return the blended soup to the Dutch oven and place it over medium heat. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
Adjust and Serve
Adjust the soup’s consistency with up to 1 cup of additional water if needed. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Serve the soup hot, offering extra Parmesan cheese on the side for garnish.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds broccoli florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Table salt
- 3 –4 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 ounces baby spinach 3 loosely packed cups
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese grated fine (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add broccoli, onion, garlic powder, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and soft, about 6 mins.
- Add 1 cup water and baking soda. Simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 mins, stirring once.
- Stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high. When simmering, add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 min.
- Blend half the soup with cheddar and Parmesan until smooth, about 1 min. Pour blended soup into a bowl. Repeat with remaining soup.
- Return blended soup to Dutch oven over medium heat. Simmer gently. Adjust consistency with up to 1 cup additional water if needed.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.