Chunky Broccoli, Cheese, & Potato Soup

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John and I watched The Others last night after enjoying a delicious bowl of this soup. First thing is first - why haven't I seen this movie until now? It was great! I knew the 'twist' before starting the movie because I've heard so many people talk about it over the years, but it was nice to finally see how it all played out. Knowing the outcome helped me pick out the hidden messages. Some may say it ruins the movie, but oh well. I still thought it was great. 

Let's talk soup. 

I have made potato soup for John and I every fall/ winter for the past 3 years. 1) You know I LOVE potatoes so there's no way I was going to make a hearty cold-weather dish without them, and 2) soups are always a nice change of pace for meals. 

The soup I typically make is basically straight up potatoes, cream, butter and bacon. It's delicious, but it takes a while and can get messy. More than once I've accidentally boiled it over and caused quite the mess.

I came across a broccoli, cheese, and potato soup recipe that I knew I had to try. J loves the Broccoli & Cheese Soup at Jason's Deli so I figured he'd be excited, too. 

After all is said and done, this is going to be my new go-to hearty tater soup dish. It's warm, cozy, filling, and some-what healthy because it has broccoli (?). Just kidding about the last part. It's not the healthiest. I did use Low-Fat milk, though... 

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Ingredients

  • 2 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth
  • 2-3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into small pieces
  • 1 tsp of onion powder
  • 2 small heads broccoli, washed and diced small (I used frozen broccoli.)
  • 3 Tbsps of butter
  • ⅓ cup of flour
  • 3½ cups of milk
  • 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • ½ tsp of pepper
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Steps:

1. In a large pot combine chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, and onion powder. 

2. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. 

3. Add broccoli, cover and simmer for an additional 8 to 10 minutes. The broth will have reduced significantly. 

4. While the broccoli is simmering, heat a large sauce pan and melt the butter. Whisk in flour and cook until golden brown. Then, whisk in milk and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. 

5. Add cheese and stir until melted into the sauce. Then add salt and pepper to taste. 

6. Pour the cheese sauce into the pot of broccoli and potatoes and stir to combine. The soup should be pretty thick. If you like a thinner consistency, go ahead and add more milk to thin it out. 

7. Top with bacon bits and enjoy!

We typically never edit down ingredients to make fewer servings, but because of my experience of always having WAY TOO MUCH potato soup to know what to do with, I decided to divide this recipe in half. It made a perfect amount for the two of us, and even gave us a little for leftovers. 

We're looking forward to making this again in the coming months!