Healthy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup with Smoked Paprika and White Bean
Try this Healthy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup Recipe with Smoked Paprika and White Bean recipe
Try this Healthy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup Recipe with Smoked Paprika and White Bean recipe
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 cans (14 oz. each) cannellini (or great northern) beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
- Carbohydrate 9.13543493956987 g
- Cholesterol 17.325 mg
- Fat 6.38822550566301 g
- Fiber 2.57147130036527 g
- Protein 6.57936042755452 g
- Saturated Fat 3.61231795276345 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (123g)
- Sodium 295.448245672606 mg
- Sugar 6.56396363920459 g
- Trans Fat 0.501181183356081 g
- Calories 114 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and smoked paprika and, stirring constantly, cook for 1 additional minute.
- Add the broccoli and cook until it is softened a little, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans.
- Add the vegetable or chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover the saucepan and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Stir in the milk, remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using either a hand-held blender, or a blender or food processor (working in batches), puree the soup until it's almost smooth, leaving a bit of texture. If you used a blender, return the soup to the saucepan and reheat it over medium heat.
- Stir in the Cheddar cheese. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.
Most cooks ruin this soup by boiling the dairy at high heat, which causes the milk proteins to curdle and separate immediately. Precision matters when building a creamy base without relying entirely on heavy cream. Understanding the chemistry behind each component prevents common kitchen failures.
The Bean Purée Foundation
Cannellini beans provide the structural body normally achieved through massive quantities of butter and flour. Draining and rinsing canned beans removes excess sodium and metallic canning liquid that would otherwise muddy the broth. Blend the mixture thoroughly after simmering; leaving too many whole beans prevents the sharp cheddar from distributing evenly through the liquid.Spice and Allium Management
Garlic burns easily within sixty seconds when exposed to dry pan heat, turning bitter and ruining the pot. Sweat diced yellow onions in olive oil over medium heat for precisely five minutes until translucent before introducing the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Toasting the paprika in the residual oil releases its fat-soluble flavor compounds directly into the fat phase.Dairy Integration and Temperature Control
Sharp cheddar requires low residual heat to melt smoothly without separating into an oily film. Remove the saucepan from the heat source and let the temperature drop for ten minutes prior to stirring in the cheese. Reduced-fat milk lacks the fat content of whole milk, meaning boiling will break the emulsion instantly.
