Cauldron Farm (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} cauldronfarm) wrote,@ 2008-02-06 18:54:00 |
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Broccoli & Cheese Soup
Pour a good amount of olive oil (half cup?) or any other fat (bacon grease!) into your soup pot over moderate heat. Add a cup of flour, in stages, whisking well. It should be a thick dough-like consistency. Add a few cups of water or broth, in stages, whisking until it is well incorporated. (Scalding hot water/broth makes it easier to achieve a reasonably lump-free texture, especially if you are impatient about adding it and whisking, but any temp will do.) Add another cup of flour, then add water until it is at a good creamy soup-like consistency. This should cook for a few minutes, no hotter than gently simmering, until it doesn't taste like raw flour. You can add a half cup or more of dry milk powder if you've got it. (Alternately, you can use milk instead of the water, but we don't have any right now. You need to be more careful not to overcook or burn it with milk.) You can also add some bouillon* or spices, but don't salt it until after you've added the cheese, because cheese is pretty salty. You might need to occasionally scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula if it is sticking and threatening to burn.
Mince leftover (cooked) broccoli into tiny bits and add them. Sneak in any other green veggies that are looking at you sadly from the back of the fridge, mashed up so none will be the wiser. If your broccoli isn't cooked, you can boil it in a few cups of water while you are making the flour paste and use its cooking water for the soup, or let it cook in the soup for a while. The order of operations is fairly flexible. Cut half a block or more of sharp cheddar cheese into small cubes (or grate it) and add that. Stir until cheese is melted. Check if it needs salt - with cheese and bouillon it probably won't.
Serve with good sized slabs of dark bread.
Josh's Favorite Variation: Make Cheese & Tomato soup by using a salsa and/or chopped tomatoes instead of broccoli.
Julie's Favorite Variation: Make a cheese sauce by using less water and more cheese, and omitting all vegetables. Pour it over two boxes of cooked macaroni.
-- Joshua
* The House Elf (![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
ignited_spark) and I are very fond of "Better Than Bouillon" which is a paste that comes in a jar. The vegetable flavor has no MSG, which is very unusual among bouillon and soup mixes.
Pour a good amount of olive oil (half cup?) or any other fat (bacon grease!) into your soup pot over moderate heat. Add a cup of flour, in stages, whisking well. It should be a thick dough-like consistency. Add a few cups of water or broth, in stages, whisking until it is well incorporated. (Scalding hot water/broth makes it easier to achieve a reasonably lump-free texture, especially if you are impatient about adding it and whisking, but any temp will do.) Add another cup of flour, then add water until it is at a good creamy soup-like consistency. This should cook for a few minutes, no hotter than gently simmering, until it doesn't taste like raw flour. You can add a half cup or more of dry milk powder if you've got it. (Alternately, you can use milk instead of the water, but we don't have any right now. You need to be more careful not to overcook or burn it with milk.) You can also add some bouillon* or spices, but don't salt it until after you've added the cheese, because cheese is pretty salty. You might need to occasionally scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula if it is sticking and threatening to burn.
Mince leftover (cooked) broccoli into tiny bits and add them. Sneak in any other green veggies that are looking at you sadly from the back of the fridge, mashed up so none will be the wiser. If your broccoli isn't cooked, you can boil it in a few cups of water while you are making the flour paste and use its cooking water for the soup, or let it cook in the soup for a while. The order of operations is fairly flexible. Cut half a block or more of sharp cheddar cheese into small cubes (or grate it) and add that. Stir until cheese is melted. Check if it needs salt - with cheese and bouillon it probably won't.
Serve with good sized slabs of dark bread.
Josh's Favorite Variation: Make Cheese & Tomato soup by using a salsa and/or chopped tomatoes instead of broccoli.
Julie's Favorite Variation: Make a cheese sauce by using less water and more cheese, and omitting all vegetables. Pour it over two boxes of cooked macaroni.
-- Joshua
* The House Elf (
ignited_spark) and I are very fond of "Better Than Bouillon" which is a paste that comes in a jar. The vegetable flavor has no MSG, which is very unusual among bouillon and soup mixes.
