It’s a balmy 9 degrees outside right now in northeastern Pennsylvania. As the snow flakes are flying, I thought it would only be appropriate to share a soup recipe with you today. Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Ham to be specific.
My family loves broccoli. Whether it’s steamed, raw, roasted or baked, we just can’t get enough of the green stuff. Some of our favorite broccoli recipes are Gnocci and Broccoli in Parmesan Cream Sauce, Broccoli Slaw and Sicilian Roasted Broccoli (a spin off of my cauliflower recipe). And, this soup recipe will now be added to the top of the list!
We absolutely loved this soup! It was extremely hearty and filling and chocked full of lots of broccoli. Serve it with some crusty bread or in a bread bowl and you have a perfect meal!
This soup was so easy to make too. It was done in under 30 minutes! You can’t beat that for a quick weeknight meal. And, it’s flexible. If you don’t like ham, leave it out and you have a great meatless meal. If you like your soup chunky, don’t puree it completely. I love a recipe with options!
I also loved that it was even more flavorful the next day. In fact, next time I make this soup, I’ll make it the day before I plan to eat it so the flavors have time to come together.
This recipe is a definite keeper!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Ham
Compliments of It’s a Keeper
www.itisakeeper.com
1 whole onion, diced
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 cups Half-and-half
4 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 pinch nutmeg
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked ham, diced
Chicken broth (if needed) for thinning
Melt butter in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and cooking for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over top and cook for one minute. Pour in milk and half and half. Add nutmeg, broccoli, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to your liking.
You can also transfer to a regular blender in two batches to puree soup to your liking. If using this method, return soup to pot and allow to reheat.
Stir in ham and cheese, allowing cheese to melt. If soup is too thick, add chicken broth to thin it to your liking.
Enjoy!
About Me
Hi! I'm Christina, the chief cook and bottle washer at It's a Keeper. I love to cook and am a self proclaimed recipe hoarder who reads cook books cover to cover like most people read a juicy novel. Join me as I cook and bake my way through the pile of recipes that I've collected. Read more.Find It’s a Keeper on:
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