A Month of Dinners-Day 7-Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

My husband had never been into a Panera Bread before he started dating me. I quickly remedied this oversight soon into our relationship. Ever since their introduction, he regularly craves their broccoli and cheddar soup. Thus, when I found this recipe that claimed to be the same, I had to try it! Before we get to the good stuff (modifications, tips, and verdict), here's the recipe.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
• 1 cup carrot, julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1.       Sauté onion in butter. Set aside. Chop broccoli and carrots.

2.       Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.

3.       Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4.       Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.

5.       Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

Modifications

-I doubled this recipe. Before making this, I decided that even if the flavor wasn't an exact match to our favorite bakery's, it still had to be good enough to freeze and eat later.

-In order to have the consistency that I wanted, I put the broccoli and the carrots through the food processor using the shredding disk. 

-I did not include the onion in my batch. The only reason, I didn't have one.

-Instead of 4 c. half and half (OH MY!) I used 2 c. half and half and 2 c. 2% milk

-I threw in a bit of extra cheese because, well...why not?! 

Tips for next time

-One batch would have been completely sufficient. I did freeze the remainder for later use. 

-Whatever you do--be sure to include the nutmeg! I tried it before I added the nutmeg, and after I added it, it was obvious that nutmeg is the secret ingredient! 

-I will be sure to add the onion next time--just to see.

The verdict

-Pretty darn close to our favorite eatery's! This will definitely be one of my regular recipes!