(Because winter is stupid and soup is one of its only redeeming qualities).
It’s snowing right now. I hate snow. I hate winter.
Fortunately however, with winter comes soup. I love soup. I love soup as much as I hate winter.
This week a friend requested broccoli cheddar soup for his birthday dinner (he asked for this with a side of hot dogs, which while strange, did not make me mad in the least. Hot dogs are awesome).
Since I am on the round side I decided to make a reduced fat broccoli cheddar soup and see if people noticed.
Spoiler alert: They didn’t.
Now thanks to me, you too can make delicious (reduced fat) broccoli cheddar soup and fool all your friends!
Here is what you need:
-1 large head of broccoli (shocking right?) cut into small pieces.
NOTE: Also it should be noted that I had to decide whether or not to sarcastically comment on how surprising it was that broccoli was an ingredient in broccoli cheddar soup, or make some kind of filthy “large head” reference… I made the right choice, but I needed you to know.
-8 Oz. of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (yes! This exists! And nope it doesn’t suck).
-1 medium to large onion finely minced (fine like me bitches! Hahaha I kid. But seriously pulse it in a food processor for best results).
-3 Large carrots (there is something funny there, I’m sure of it), that have been shredded (use that fancy food processor of yours or buy them that way. I don’t care. I don’t judge. I mean I do. But not here).
-1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I’ve said it before, the jarred stuff works for me since I am shallow and don’t want my hands to smell, but if you don’t care about what people think if you and how you smell, then 3 fresh cloves will do!).
-3 Tbsp. Olive oil (it’s a healthy fat!).
-3 Tbsp. butter (French people use it, and they are skinny, so we can do it too!).
-¼ Cup plus 1 tbsp. flour (it’s a weird amount, but it works OK?).
-2 Tsp. onion powder.
-1 Tsp. Paprika (I suggest smoked paprika. It’s just better and we like the finer things).
-2 Cups skim milk (yup. Fat free milk. SEE I told you! We’re doing this!!!).
-4 Cups (1 box) of broth. Chicken if you’re not picky, or if you want to make it completely vegetarian as I did, use vegetable broth (please use low sodium, and refer to my below joke about being salty and such).
-Salt and pepper to taste (the cheese is salty so be careful. Cheese is salty, salt is salty and we’re salty people soooo we must use restraint).
OK! We’re gonna cook now. We have to make a Roux. I sounds scary, but I PROMISE you can handle it. If you listen to me and don’t go rouge. Do we have an agreement? …you think, I’ll wait 10 whole seconds.
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GOOD choice! LET’S GO!
In a large pot (preferably one of those cast iron enameled Dutch ovens we love so much), heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot (like me … insert sizzle noise here), add in the onions and carrots, and sauté (fancy word for cook over medium heat), until both have softened.
Add in the 1 Tbsp. garlic, and cook for about a minute more.
Remove the onions, carrots and garlic from the pan and set aside (and yes, there will be some left in the pan. It’s fine. Do your best… or maybe a little better than your best if you’re one of those step skipping kind of people).
Lower the heat in the pan a little bit, and add in the 3 Tbsp. butter to melt (We lower the pan, so that the butter doesn’t brown. Brown butter is delicious but has no business here! Away with you brown butter!).
Once the butter is melted, add in the ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. flour and cook for about a minute (yes, time this. We don’t want raw flour taste in our soup, so again not a skippable step… really if you’re into skipping steps perhaps this isn’t the place for you… I am both condescending AND controlling. It says so in the title).
After the minute of flour cooking, slowly add in the two cups of skim milk whisking the whole time to ensure there are no lumps.
NOTE: When I say slowly, I mean it! A little at a time add in the milk and whisk until it’s absorbed, then add some more. Once it’s completely smooth, you can add in the rest.
Stir the roux (yup! This was you making a roux!!! Congratulations bitches!!! You did it!), constantly over medium/high heat, for about two minutes, while the mixture thickens.
OTHER NOTE: you will know it’s ready with it coats the back of a spoon (which sounds weird, but is a thing and has been forever so we go with it. Old kitchen adages are part of the cooking fun kids!).
Once the roux has thickened (like my waistline, which is why we’re making reduced fat soup), add in the 4 cups (1 box) of the broth (low sodium!) of your choosing, and continue to stir for another two minutes (yeah it’s a lot of stirring. “Thems the breaks kids”. Welcome to the kitchen!).
Add the onions and carrots (and any residual juices … which sounds gross but isn’t you dirty birdy), into the soup and stir to combine.
Add in the chopped broccoli (the large head hehehe), and simmer covered on low for 20 minutes, stirring (yes again! We can’t let all the work go to waste with a scorched soup!) Occasionally.
After 20 minutes, stir in your 8 oz. reduced fat cheddar until completely melted and incorporated.
TASTE the soup (because we do this) and add any necessary salt and pepper.
Taste again (using a different spoon because you’re not an animal), and adjust any seasonings you see fit, which shouldn’t be any because I am awesome at this.
Serve immediately, with crusty bread, or hot dogs (trust me it made sense somehow), or whatever you deem to be a worthy side dish… (Worthy side dish was my nick-name in prison). (Shout out to my brother for the fun prison jokes!).
Marvel at the fact that this soup doesn’t taste low fat, and if you don’t serve it with hot dogs, it’s relatively healthy!
ENJOY!!!
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