“Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need.”  ― Julia Child

Part of The Cure’s week two weekend chores was to make a home cooked meal in your newly deep-cleaned kitchen. As I cook at home often and was by this point exhausted, I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend any more time in my kitchen or on my feet.

However, as they are wont to do, the forces of the universe conspired to get me over the stove. My dinner date for Sunday night was rain-checked due to an unexpected work project and I suddenly found myself ravenous, alone, and with no plans for what to eat.

I’ve often touted the benefits of cooking a large batch of something and eating it throughout the week, and I decided that a big pot of soup was just what the doctor ordered. Quickly surveying the fridge, a bundle of broccoli heads that needed to be used before they wilted, a nearly full quart of milk that was teasing its last few days before the expiry date, and the better part of a block of cheddar confirmed that broccoli cheese soup was the way to go.

This soup is thick and creamy, comes together quickly – less than 45 minutes from prep to bowl, and makes a HUGE pot. I actually only intended to make about half as much, but once I thinned it to the consistency I liked, my 5 quart Dutch oven was nearly full. You can certainly cut the recipe in half; otherwise, this ought to make enough to feed an army (with some leftovers), or one person for about a week. My recipe is heavily adapted from the Pioneer Woman. As I didn’t want to make a grocery run, I used 2% milk instead of whole and omitted the half and half making this variation of broccoli cheese soup surprisingly light in calories, but not in flavor.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Adapted heavily from: The Pioneer Woman

Tools: Large stock pot or dutch oven, wooden spoon, blender or food processor (optional)

1 whole Onion, diced
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter
1/2 cup Flour
4 cups Milk (I used 1% but you can use whole milk for a richer soup)
2-4 cups Chicken Broth (depending on how thin you would like your soup to be)
4 heads Broccoli, cut into florets
1 pinch Nutmeg, I prefer freshly grated
2-3 cups grated Cheese (mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack, Etc.)
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Your favorite hot sauce, optional

1) Clean and prepare your onions and broccoli, and grate your cheese. Keep individual ingredients separate, and set aside.

2) Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes until they become glassy and slightly soft, then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flour and butter to turn into a paste (roux) and develop a richer flavor. Your flour, butter, and onion mixture should just start to change color.

3) Once your flour, butter, and onion mix has cooked for a few minutes, pour in the milk and stir. Your soup base should immediately start to thicken up. Try to get out as many clumps as possible, but don’t worry if some remain, as they will be worked out as additional ingredients are added and stirred.

4) Once your soup base has been smoothed, add nutmeg, a small dash of salt, black pepper, and broccoli. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.

5) Once the broccoli is tender, stir in cheese and allow it to melt. At this point, taste seasonings and adjust as needed. At this point, I like to toss in a few good dashes of my favorite hot sauce. I prefer Tapatio, but anything with a little vinegary kick will do.

6) Soup can be served as is, mashed with a potato masher to break up the broccoli slightly, or transferred to a blender in two batches and pureed. I like to purée half and leave the other half slightly chunky. You may need to reheat slightly and/or add additional broth to thin if you choose to purée.

Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge for about a week. The soup may thicken to near solid once cooled, but can be easily reconstituted on the stove or in the microwave with a touch of water, milk, or broth.