The weather has been frigid and dreary which means I don’t want to do anything except wear flannel pajamas, eat cheesy foods, and watch Rom-coms. Despite this, I am determined to not let the annual “winter coat” back on (or, better known as the reason I have 8 pairs of jeans in varying sizes). I love to make soup, especially the good and hearty type. This soup accomplishes that perfectly and, as a bonus, is thickened with cannelloni beans making this a low-fat, high fiber version!
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Serves: 2 (+4 lunches!)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups of water
- 1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 carrots, peeled and minced
- 3 cups of chopped broccoli
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup 1% Milk, optional, and recommended 🙂
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat a soup pot on medium and add the olive oil and onions. Sauté for 2 minutes until they turn clear.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. (If it starts to become dry, add a tablespoon or 2 of water.)
- Add the stock and water to the pot. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. (This is important as all of the flavors from the onion and garlic season the stock).
- Add the cannelloni beans and blend everything together using an immersion blender. This will create a nice puree of your aromatics and beans.
- Add the carrots and broccoli to the pot with the puree and allow the soup to simmer for another 5-8 minutes, until the carrots and broccoli are soft.
- Blend the soup again until it is almost entirely pureed. Leaving some whole pieces of broccoli works well.
- Add the cheddar cheese (and milk, if desired), stir until melted, and season to taste! Serve with extra cheddar.
*You can also use a regular blender, obviously! When blending in step 5, leave about 2 cups of the soup in the pot and puree the rest.
*If freezing, do not add milk to the soup. You can add milk when re-heating at a later point.
