Broccoli Cauli Cheese Soup

The thick, creamy texture of this broccoli cheese soup may trick your tongue into believing you are eating something that’s rich and full of cream. The magic is that it’s NOT! The thick, creamy texture comes from blended cauliflower, while the pretty orange color comes from carrots. Yes, there is cheese in the soup, but it’s really a very small amount.

We are having a horribly wintry spring this year and it’s making me grumpy. The other night I came home from yoga, driving through a snowstorm to get home, and all I could think when I got home was I wanted some comforting, hot soup to warm me up. I asked my foodie friends to share soup recipes to motivate me to get cooking, but I just couldn’t get up the energy to cook that night. I went to bed and woke with this soup on my mind and decided I needed to make it immediately so I could take some with me to work for lunch.

Today it’s snowing again (argh!) … I want to scream, but what good would it do? There is nothing we can do about it … we just have to wait it out. No, I’ll just bake some bread, eat some soup, and wait …

I do have a bit of good news … Despite the snow, I have some crocuses blooming in my yard! I am so thankful that my little crocuses are braving this nasty weather, reminding me that yes, I can do this too …

And yes, a good creamy (healthy!) soup always gives me courage.

Broccoli Cauli Cheese Soup

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: About 1 1/2 - 2 quarts of soup 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 of a head of cauliflower (about 13.5 oz.)
• 15 baby carrots (or 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into small chunks)
• 1 onion, chopped roughly
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 of a head of broccoli (about 9.5 oz.)
• 1/2 cup fat free half & half
• 1 – 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (or just use more cooking water from the vegies)
• 1.5 oz. brie cheese
• 2 oz. Havarti cheese, chopped into small chunks
• 2 teaspoons Red Robin seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• Salt & pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Fill a saucepan about 2/3 full of water, then add the cauliflower, carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
2. If you have a steamer, set it on top of the pot of cauliflower and add the broccoli. If not, steam the broccoli till crisp tender, then run under cold water to keep it from overcooking.
3. When the cauliflower and carrots are perfectly fork tender, set a strainer over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid and pour the cauliflower mixture into the strainer. Take out the bay leaves and put the strained vegies in a blender, then add about a cup of the cooking water. Pour in the half & half & broth, then add the brie and blend until the mixture is creamy.
4. Meanwhile chop the broccoli into small hunks (stems & all).
5. Pour the puree back into the saucepan, then add the broccoli, Havarti cheese, Red Robin Seasoning and dill. Heat over medium low heat until the cheese is melted and the soup is good and hot. Serve hot.

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Notes

Try out other cheeses in this soup if you prefer!

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2013, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

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Nutrition

• Calories: about 200 calories per serving if you divide this

This recipe was shared at Weekend Potluck, Mop it Up Monday, Everyday Mom’s Meals, Melt in your Mouth Monday, Manic Monday, Scrumptious Sunday, Tuesday’s Table, Show & Share Wednesday and Wednesday Extravaganza.