The theme this week at I Heart Cooking Club is warming soups and stews. There were a few on my menu planning such as gumbo and a chicken gnocchi soup but I decided on the Broccoli Cheddar with seasoned pretzels.
I'm including the full recipe from Half Baked Harvest Super Simple cookbook but I did half the ingredients. It's just two of us so we didn't need that much soup and I wasn't sure how well it would store in the freezer. I mean, I can always make more if we want it.
After making this I know I will, more than likely, return to a different broccoli cheddar soup recipe as this one didn’t turn out as I hoped. I liked the SkinnyTaste recipe more but Doug said this one tasted fine.
The addition of a seasoned pretzel topping seemed like a good idea.
See these flat pretzels below? It was all I could find at the nearest store to us. They were the problem with the seasoned pretzels. Not robust enough and thin enough that some burned. Ok, so lesson learned on that one.
Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1/4 cup AP flour
2 cups whole milk
4 cups broccoli florets
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper
3 to 4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 TB fresh thyme
In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and saute the onion. Once softened mix in flour and gradually add the milk. As it thickens add the broccoli, bay, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes then remove from heat. Cool slightly.
Pour some of the soup mixture in a food processor or use an immersion blender to pulse. You don't want it completely smooth so leave some texture there. Return tyhe soup to the stove and add cheese and thyme. Divide the soup into 6 bowls and top with seasoned pretzels.
Seasoned Pretzels
3 cups broken pretzel rods
4 TB salted butter, melted
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB Everything Bagel spice
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large boel combine all the ingredients, toss well to be sure the pretzels are well coated.
Bake on prepared baking sheet about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.
Sharing with I Heart Cooking Club and Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday.
Broccoli soup sounds like a good idea, but that recipe leaves a lot to be desired, according to your report. I always add the flour at the end when I puree the soup, and then let it cook a little longer to cook the flour. And I take out some of the florets before blending, so there are recognizable broccoli pieces.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae, thank you for those suggestions. I try and mix the flour before the liquid is in and it coats the veggies. Usually that works.
DeleteIt sure does look pretty! This one caught my eye too. I love the idea of seasoned pretzels on top. I might try it one day.
ReplyDeleteKim, the seasoned pretzels were good but make sure you use the fatter pretzels. I had the flat ones and they were just ok.
DeleteI love Broccoli and Cheddar Soup. I also love those pretzels, I just bought a bag of them a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteVicki, I have always been a salty snack person and could devour a bag of pretzels.
DeleteToo bad it didn't turn out as expected. I think those seasoned pretzels are a great idea maybe with the nuggets I sometimes find. Thanks for sharing with Souper Sundays this week too.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I will have a good soup comning up to share if I can get it posted!
DeleteI can not love those pretzel thins. I want to enjoy them but I just don't! I do like Broccoli and Cheddar soup and it is definitely comfort food. I tend to make soup on Monday so we can eat the leftovers on clinic nights or nights when cooking just isn't going to happen.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I prefer the fatter pretzels as well. I have a soup recipe using gnocchi you may like. It's hearty and would reheat well.
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