Broccoli-Cheese & Veggie Soup

Broccoli Cheese & Veggie Soup

1 head broccoli

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion or shallot, small dice

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken stock

pinch cayenne pepper

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1½ cups milk

2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

1-2 cups kale, chopped (you can substitute any leafy green or tender vegetable you need to use)

homemade croutons, if desired

Trim off 2-3 inches of the broccoli stem and discard. Remove the florets and chop, set aside. Chop the remaining stem and stalks into small pieces, keep separate from the florets.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a pot, add the onion and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add in the chopped broccoli stem and stalk and sauté until soft. Stir in the flour and half of the reserved broccoli florets, cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the milk. Working in batches, if necessary, carefully blend half of the soup with the 2 cups of cheese. Do not overfill your blend and always start blending on low speed, hot liquid will expand quickly and splatter. Transfer the blended soup back into the pot. Stir in the reserved broccoli florets and kale (or whatever additional vegetables you are using) and simmer until the vegetables are tender, taste for seasoning. Serve topped with more grated cheddar cheese and croutons.

Use your stale bread for croutons:

stale bread, cut into cubes

olive oil, for drizzling

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, drizzle your bread cubes with olive and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat and transfer to your baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.