Three-cheese Broccoli Soup

Most broccoli and cheese soup photos I see on Pinterest link to copycat recipes of the dish made popular by Panera. I’ve never eaten at Panera but I like the idea of a broccoli and cheese soup. So, I created my own. Instead of using only one kind of cheese, I used three. My three-cheese broccoli soup has cream cheese, Fontina and Asiago. It is also topped with crispy chopped bacon.

The recipe starts by lightly frying the vegetables in a little butter. They are scooped out, more butter is added to the pan to make a blonde roux. Chicken stock and milk are poured in. When the mixture was simmering, the cheeses were added. The seasonings went in next and, finally, the vegetables. After ten minutes, the soup was poured into a serving bowl and topped with crispy chopped bacon and parsley.

Three-cheese Broccoli Soup

Feel free to use your own combination of cheeses. Sharp cheddar, Gouda and Gruyère go well with cream cheese too.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Author: CASA Veneracion

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 carrot
• 1 medium-sized sweet yellow onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups full cream milk
• 125 grams cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 80 grams Fontina cheese grated
• 80 grams Asiago cheese grated
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked bacon chopped
• chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Cut the broccoli into florets. Rinse and drain well.
• Peel the carrot and onion and give them a medium chop.
• Melt half of the butter in a pan. Add the broccoli florets, carrot and onion. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for a minute. Scoop out and move to a plate.
• Add the remaining butter to the pan and melt. Add the flour, all at once, mixing fast to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to make a blonde roux.
• Pour in the chicken broth slowly, stirring as you pour. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed (you won't need much at this point if your chicken broth is well seasoned).
• When the mixture starts to simmer, start pouring in the milk slowly. Stir.
• Add the broccoli, carrot and onion. Stir. Allow the mixture to simmer for about ten minutes to thicken and for the vegetables to get cooked all the way through.
• Add the cheeses to the soup. Stir and continue simmering until melted.
• Pour the soup into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the bacon and parsley on top. You may also sprinkle in more grated cheese but that is completely optional.
• Serve the three-cheese broccoli soup at once. It's best with crusty bread on the side.

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