Broccoli Cheese Soup
I was craving this soup and made it from stuff I had in the fridge and cabinets. It came out Great! The kids and husband loved it. Simple and yummy. Enjoy!
I was craving this soup and made it from stuff I had in the fridge and cabinets. It came out Great! The kids and husband loved it. Simple and yummy. Enjoy!
- Carbohydrate 62.4283486446322 g
- Cholesterol 1491.7902921075 mg
- Fat 353.70512374021 g
- Fiber 12.3925637520818 g
- Protein 320.098610228755 g
- Saturated Fat 144.453450348453 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (2503g)
- Sodium 2780.10377096938 mg
- Sugar 50.0357848925504 g
- Trans Fat 33.99540762082 g
- Calories 4735 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large pot add Chicken Broth, pepper, garlic salt, onion and broccoli. Let come up to an easy boil. Trun heat down to a medium.
- In the mean time place the milk in a smaller pot on medium heat (you do not want the milk to burn).
- When the milk is heated, add the cream cheese. With a wisk stir the milk and cream cheese until completely smooth.
- Add the butter, stir. Add shredded cheeses 4 ounces at a time. Stiring until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the cheese mixture is completely incorporated add it to the larger pot with the broccoli. Stir.
- Place the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a cup with a bit of water (just enough so it is not pasty) stir together. Pour in the soup while stiring. Let the soup cook for 15 minutes after the cornstarch has been added. This is just to thicken the soup. If you want it thicker add more cornstarch by repeating the previous step. Or if you don't want to use it then you don't have too.
- Serve and enjoy!
Using standard milk instead of heavy cream in cheese-heavy soups frequently causes protein curdling due to low fat content failing to insulate dairy solids against acidic broth. Whole milk contains roughly three point five percent butterfat, which provides marginal protection, but skim or two percent varieties will separate under sustained heat. Whisking cream cheese directly into warm milk creates a stable emulsion only if the temperature remains strictly below eighty-five degrees Celsius during incorporation. Softening the cream cheese at room temperature for thirty minutes prior to mixing prevents grainy lumps from forming in the secondary pot. Precision matters significantly when introducing dairy to heated stocks, as thermal shock causes immediate fat separation.
Swapping the specified cheddar and southwest blend for pre-shredded supermarket bags introduces cellulose coatings that actively prevent smooth melting. Anti-caking agents applied to commercial shreds inhibit protein bonding, resulting in a gritty texture that heavy whisking cannot repair. Grating blocks of sharp cheddar and pepper jack manually yields superior results because moisture levels remain untampered by industrial starches. Standardizing the cheese addition to four-ounce increments allows each batch to melt fully before the next quantity enters the pot, preventing local hot spots from scorching the dairy solids against the base of the cookware.
Controlling the broccoli texture requires boiling the florets in the broth just until a paring knife meets minor resistance at the stem center. Overcooking the brassicas at this initial stage turns them into drab, sulfurous mush long before the dairy phase concludes. Retaining a slight crunch in the stems ensures the vegetables maintain structural integrity when submerged in the dense cheese matrix for the final fifteen-minute simmer. Chopping the florets into uniform sizes guarantees even heat penetration during the initial boil.
Slurries made from cornstarch require complete hydration in cold water before entering simmering liquid to prevent gelatinous lumps from forming on contact. Boiling the soup for fifteen minutes after adding the starch slurry activates the amylase enzymes necessary for maximum thickening power without tasting chalky. Undercooking the starch leaves an unpleasant raw flour taste on the palate and fails to bind the heavy volumes of chicken broth and melted cheese. Adjusting viscosity beyond the initial two tablespoons demands a fresh cold-water slurry rather than dumping dry powder directly into hot liquid.
