Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Fried Cheese Curds
This hearty and comforting soup is perfect for a cold winter day. The creamy cheddar cheese soup is full of tender broccoli and carrots, while the crispy fried cheese curds add a fun and flavorful touch.
This hearty and comforting soup is perfect for a cold winter day. The creamy cheddar cheese soup is full of tender broccoli and carrots, while the crispy fried cheese curds add a fun and flavorful touch.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups button mushrooms finely chopped
- 3 cups milk (i used 2% - i also use canned coconut milk)
- 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
- 1 large carrot diced
- 2 bay leaves
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups grated sharp white or yellow cheddar
- 4 7- inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves)
- fried cheese curds:
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 cup pumpkin beer
- 2 pounds fresh cheese curds
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
- Carbohydrate 49.7538620908705 g
- Cholesterol 22.8975 mg
- Fat 10.5960141674971 g
- Fiber 1.59514584897591 g
- Protein 2.46903375101835 g
- Saturated Fat 5.78402341678477 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (375g)
- Sodium 407.36066679316 mg
- Sugar 48.1587162418946 g
- Trans Fat 0.73194616672177 g
- Calories 296 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the butter + olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion + mushrooms and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk and broth until smooth. Add the broccoli, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until the broccoli is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Once the broccoli is tender, remove at least half of the broccoli florets and the bay leaves from the the soup. Puree the remaining soup in batches in a blender until chunky-smooth. Return the soup to the pot. Add back the reserved broccoli.
- Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Divide the soup among the bread bowls (or regular bowls) and top with fried cheese curds (recipe below).
- Add the oil to a heavy bottom pot about an inch up the sides of the pot. Bring the oil to 375 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and cayenne. Whisk in the beer and egg until a smooth batter forms.
- Working in batches dip a handful of curds through the batter and then carefully add them to the hot oil. Fry the curds until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot atop the warm soup.
Standard broccoli cheddar soup relies on a basic dairy-and-cheese emulsion, but this version incorporates mushrooms for an earthy depth and crowns the bowl with beer-battered curds. Most cooks fail here by rushing the flour and butter mixture, producing a raw, pasty base that refuses to properly thicken the chicken broth and milk. When whisking flour into the rendered butter and sautéed vegetables, cook that paste until it turns a pale golden color and smells distinctly nutty. That extra three to four minutes of patience breaks down the raw starches so the dairy binds smoothly without separating into a greasy film once the sharp cheddar is stirred in.
Controlling the Fryer for Crispy Curds
Achieving crisp cheese curds without turning the interior into an oily puddle requires strict management of your heat source. Maintain the canola oil at precisely 375 degrees Fahrenheit using a clip-on thermometer, dropping the beer batter-coated curds in small handfuls so the temperature does not plummet. Because fresh cheese curds melt rapidly, even a minor drop in oil heat will cause the coating to absorb grease instead of frying into a rigid shell. Fry them for strictly one to two minutes until golden brown, then drain them thoroughly on paper towels before transferring them to the soup.
- If you swap the milk for canned coconut milk, expect a pronounced tropical sweetness that alters the savory balance of the sharp cheddar.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth rather than regular broth to prevent the concentrated reduction from becoming overwhelmingly salty.
- Whisk the milk and broth into the roux in a slow, steady stream to prevent stubborn flour lumps from forming.
