Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A roux-thickened, cheese-heavy soup built for a weeknight — the one people ask you to bring the leftovers of.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Written
Method
-
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
-
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly until it smells toasted and coats the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes.
-
Whisk in the stock a little at a time, scraping the bottom, until smooth, then whisk in the half-and-half.
-
Bring to a simmer and add the broccoli and carrots. Cook until the broccoli is tender enough to crush against the side of the pot with a spoon, 12 to 15 minutes.
-
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheddar by the handful, letting each addition melt before adding the next.
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Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Notes
The roux is what keeps this from separating into broccoli water and a puddle of oily cheese — don’t rush the flour step, and don’t let the soup boil once the cheese goes in or it can break. Off the heat, low and slow.
Grate the cheddar yourself. Bagged pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to keep it from clumping in the bag, and that same coating keeps it from melting smoothly into the soup.