broccoli, carrot, & cheese soup

Ok I swear I’m not just eating broccoli and cheese…but I just happen to have discovered another great broccoli cheese creation. And since winter seems to have no end (here at least), I’m still in the mood for cozy warm soups.

We made this soup last time we went to see Nick’s family and my sister-in-law brought the recipe. It was so good that I wanted to make it again that week. We stopped at the local cheese store on our drive home (for the good stuff) and were set to make it within a few days. I made a couple changes to make it gluten free (just for fun) and it was still equally amazing! I’ll be honest, this isn’t the healthiest recipe due to the cheese and cream but it’s still what we love: homemade! In moderation, it’s a tasty addition to a whole foods diet.

Are you getting ready for spring near you? Either way, I hope you enjoy! The full recipe is below…

Broccoli, Carrot, & Cheese Soup
(makes 6-8 servings)

• 4 cups of fresh broccoli (about one large bunch or a bag), chopped into tiny florets
  
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup of fontina cheese, freshly grated
• 1 heaping cup of smoked gouda cheese, freshly grated
• 3 cups of shredded carrots
• 1 small white onion, diced(about one cup)
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups half and half or heavy cream
• 6 tbs. almond meal (or use regular flour if you’d like)
• 6 tbs. butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste, maybe add a bit more if you used low-sodium broth)
  
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Chop broccoli by removing most of the stems then separating into tiny florets. Dice onion, shred carrots, and mince garlic.
2. Add vegetable stock to a pot on medium-high heat and add broccoli, carrot, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on medium for 15-20 minutes, until veggies are tender.
3. While stock is cooking, prepare the grated cheese.
4. In another saucepan, add butter and whisk constantly on medium heat. Once it melts, add almond flour and continue to whisk.
5. Turn off the heat and combine the stock and butter mixture in one large pot. Remove the bay leaves then slowly stir in cream.
6. Return the burner to low heat and add all of your spices. Stir to combine.
7. Add cheese and stir until just combined. Remove from heat and serve immediately. Optional: top with shredded cheese and freshly ground pepper.

I topped ours with shredded asiago because we had it…you could also substitute the cheeses for any other great melting cheese…so many options! I hope you enjoy.