Broccoli Cheese Soup

Although a lot of us are not fond of broccoli, eating broccoli is very good for health. It is high in vitamins A, C, B12 and minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. The best way to include broccoli in your diet is to have broccoli cheese soup. It is delicious and not very difficult to make.

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup red onions, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 175 gm Stilton cheese
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups skimmed milk
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

Method

In a medium-sized non stick pan, fry the chopped onions in canola oil. Add garlic, and sauté, and stir for the next 2 - 3 minutes until the onions turn soft and translucent. Now add the broccoli florets and fry them for about 5 minutes. When the broccoli is partially cooked, add the chicken stock. Lower the flame of the burner and let it simmer for some time.

In another bowl, mix milk and flour ensuring that no lumps are formed. Now add this mixture into the simmering broccoli soup. Stir until the soup becomes thick. Add crumbled Stilton cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Pour the soup in a food processor or blender and blend until it is smooth. If you find the soup to be too thick, you can add some more chicken stock. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with chili flakes and chopped chives.

Broccoli Soup with Sweet Potato and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 carrots, diced
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• 2 cups sweet potato, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion, sliced fine
• 2 tablespoons garlic oil
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 - 12 croutons
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a large pan, heat the garlic oil, add onions and garlic and fry them until they are tender. Add bay leaf and sweet potatoes. Stir fry them for 5 - 6 minutes until the sweet potatoes become soft. Now add the diced carrots and broccoli florets. Pour chicken stock, salt and pepper and let the mixture simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the flame and discard the bay leaf.

In a food processor, blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy in texture. Once blended, pour the broccoli soups into the pan and heat it again. Add the cheddar cheese and stir continuously until all the cheese has melted. Ladle the soup into individual soup plates and serve with crouton.

Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 2 cups boiled noodles
• 1½ cups of cheddar cheese
• 2 cups milk
• ½ tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Method

In a large cooking pan, fry the onions and garlic with a little butter. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook until the water has evaporated. Now fry the broccoli florets and stir fry them until they are tender. Pour chicken stock into the pan and let this mixture simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and flour until its properly blended. Add this mixture to the pan and stir constantly for 4 - 5 minutes. Now add shredded chicken, cooked noodles and grated cheddar cheese and stir constantly until the cheese melts. Add some freshly ground pepper and salt. Simmer the soup on medium heat for another 5 minutes until you get a creamy consistency. Serve in soup bowls with garlic bread.

As you have seen, there are many variations of broccoli cheese soup. Adding different vegetables and spices gives the soup a different flavor and texture. You can also experiment with different varieties of cheeses like mozzarella, Camembert or Stilton.