Cheddar Broc Soup

I swear I didn't plan 2 meatless meals in a row.  It just happened. 

I love meat. Oh wait. I did make meat with this soup. The title should have said Cheddar Broccoli Soup with Ham & Cheese Toasts. But I didn't like the way the "toasts" came out. I almost ditched the "toasts" completely, but my son saw them on the counter and of course wanted it. He said it was really good but he might have been just really hungry. I thought it was a flop. So you just get the soup on the blog. Yay soup! Don't worry you aren't missing much. 

I am giving you the best part.  I promise.

 The soup is awesome by the way. It is cheesy and creamy and has great mouth taste and texture. Its not silky like squash soup so expect it to be a bit grainy or clumpy but that's normal for broccoli I think. All I know is that it felt like a hug on a very cold day and my son ate his entire bowl in under 10 minutes. That is some of record. Hes a really slow eater unless its something he LOVES. If it hadn't been hot I think he would've been drinking it. LOL. We do lots of veggies so he is used to broccoli, but this cheesy goodness was so perfect on a colder February day. 

I admit I made the soup because it sounded yummy and healthy. I am a soup/stew person. There is just something super comforting about soup. So my logic is don't try it because its healthy, try it because its so good you will want another bowl. Okay final reason, if the pictures are enticing enough.... besides that the fact that its FREEZING outside and soup is this is so necessary. It is a Racheal Ray recipe tahhh dahhh. If you aren't a fan please ignore that last comment. Try it anyways.  You can find the original recipe here. 

20 minute meal with a toddler under my feet. 

Serves 2 - 4 (2 if the both people are adults and this is a main course)

Directions:

Put 1 Tbs olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. 

Add 1/2 of an onion finely chopped with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. 

Cook for approx 5-7 minutes until onions look softened. 

Add in 1 small yellow or red potato finely diced. 

Add in 2 cups of water and bring the pot to a boil. 

Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add in 3/4 lb of broccoli and cover. 

Cook for about 5-7 minutes until tender. Test with a fork at the 5 minute mark. You'll want to keep the nice green color and not overcook it. 

Use a food processor or blender to blend the soup. I used a blender. Its your choice to blend all of it or only do half and get a chunkier soup. I thought all blended would be easier for my son so i did it that way. 

 After blending return it to the pot and stir in 1/4 cup of half & half and 1 cup shredded cheese. Note: I used sharp cheddar just because its the classic combo broc with cheddar. And unlike so many recipes where you need to add more cheese to really make it cheesy the sharp cheddar really brought enough flavor so 1 cup was plenty. But feel free to use anything here. Pepper jack cheese or Swiss cheese would both be good choices.  

Taste the soup. Adjust the seasonings (ie... more salt or pepper). Serve warm with your favorite bread, sandwich, rolls, or crackers.

Comfort in a Bowl. 

Cheesy and kid friendly. 

From my kitchen to yours