It actually makes me feel better to tell people about it, because I am inevitably rewarded with “even worse” stories, like the one time when my friend sent her daughter to school with a broken arm (“it wasn’t even bruised. I told her to stop whining.”), or when another friend let her baby on the trampoline and he broke his leg, then had to re-learn how to walk. Oh my gosh, I’m totally kidding!! Look, he already has a splint in this picture! (The kids organized this pyramid themselves, by the way, and they were soooo excited about it. Eric held Edison on top as the final touch. I love our neighborhood kids and their creativity!) Edison broke his wrist when he fell off the changing table last week. I feel terrible about it. Not stepping away from the changing table is like Mom 101 stuff, and here I am on my fourth kid, totally dropping the ball! Now that I’ve horrified all of you more-attentive moms, I just want to put it out there for the record that this is our family’s first break and I’ve been at this mom-ing gig for 10 years now. Don’t I get any points for successful (and non-violent) time-served?? Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram The problems with some broccoli cheese soup recipes are many fold: some recipes I’ve seen blend up the soup. I suppose there is a time and place for this, but call it something else; broccoli cheese soup has whole florets of tender broccoli in it, and a to-die-for cheesy base, thankyouverymuch. Other recipes don’t add enough broccoli, and you are left hunting. Other recipes add so much cheese that you feel like you should be dipping chips in it (not a bad idea for game day, I suppose.) Other recipes don’t add enough spices, and it turns out boring and bland. I wanted a classic recipe that was perfectly balanced: creamy and cheesy without being overwhelming, lots and lots of broccoli to go around, and with a few choice spices to enhance the broccoli and let it shine. This is the one! It’s so good, especially on a rainy day with some nice crusty bread. 1 – I like to start out by chopping all the veggies. The soup is a little fussy in that you have to be prepared to add certain ingredients at certain times, so it’s best to have everything prepped before you move to the stove. Does anyone eat these leaf thingies? I always peel mine off. I feel like this is a moment where my mother-in-law is going to come swooping in, “Oh I always add those in, they have great flavor!” At least that’s what she said about celery leaves. (And she was right.) But, sorry imaginary Kris, I think those broccoli leaves are weird and I’m taking them off. Here’s how I chop my broccoli. Chop as far as you can up the stem, break the florets apart, then cut off more stem as far as you can, etc. Then flip the larger florets over and chop from the bottom stem into smaller pieces. I like fairly small pieces of broccoli in my soup; bite sized pieces are just easier to eat! Nobody wants huge chunks in their soup. But what about the stems? Don’t be a broccoli stem hater. If you chop them small, they will become nice and tender in the soup. They taste great. No sense in throwing half your broccoli away. Don’t forget the carrots! You can grate them or chop them into matchsticks, or just chop them regular, don’t let some food blogger tell you what to do. (They need to be kinda small though, so they don’t take longer than it takes the broccoli to cook. Say no to mushy overcooked broccoli.) 2 – Saute your onions in some butter and spices. I like to add dry mustard (it compliments cheddar so well!) and a little cayenne (it adds flavor, not heat) and smoked paprika. Smoked paprika is the secret ingredient in so many recipes, and it does amazing things for broccoli cheddar soup! Who can say no to a little smokey flavor? 3 – Next add in some flour to absorb all that butter and make a paste. 4 – Make a roux by adding broth and milk to the paste. Go slow adding in your liquids. If you add it too fast, the sauce won’t be smooth. 5 – Add in your broccoli and carrots, and let them simmer just a few minutes until tender. See, I told you this was a fast soup! 6 – Don’t you skimp on the cheddar now. We’ve made it this far. Don’t let your broccoli down by not giving it the cheesy support it needs. I know a pound of cheese sounds like a lot, but remember, this soup serves 10! You may as well grate some extra cheese right now for garnishing each bowl. 7 – And that is it! Add some chopped green onions on top, plenty of extra cheddar, and voila! This soup is so warm and comforting! Quick and Easy French Bread « this crusty goodness is ready in ONE HOUR people. Soft and Fluffy Parker House Rolls « the buttery companion to your bowl o’ soup. Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread « impress yourself with this garlicky cast iron recipe. Green Salad with Feta and Beets « the easiest no-chop salad ever! Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing « bright and refreshing.
