help with the perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe!

Background, me and my two daughters aged 4 & 3, have been searching for the perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe for three months now. This is about three recipes a month.(cheese is expensive lol)
we have had good results flavor wise. A few just missing something.

The main problem seems to be the creamy consistency. When we do get a good creamy soup,i it doesn't reheat very well... I'm almost to the point of using velveeta,yuck!

So any tried and true recipes? Tips or hints?

A few points to consider, we do not have any type of blender. I use a potatoe masher and that works fine for the broccoli ect. But does that effect the cheese melting/creamyness?

Isn't there a way to melt the cheese first in a roux or something? But wouldn't boiling the soup after effect the cheese?

We are looking for homemade but yet resturaunt quality soup.

I'm by no means a master chef, but i'm willing to try anything once ,and at least try.

And thanks in advance:-)

reply to post by showintail


Are you buying store bought cheddar? That may be your problem, because it seems a lot of these cheeses use oil in the manufacturing process.

Find a place that specializes in selling cheese and purchase your cheese there. It will probably cost twice as much as the store bought garbage but it is well worth it.

Not sure which recipes you have tried but this is a very good one!

Brocolli Cheese Soup

reply to post by showintail


I suggest that you. process the soup in batches in a blender...maybe that will make the difference; or did you do this already?

reply to post by seeker1963

Thank you. That one looks good!

Interesting about the cheese, when me and the girls started this adventure, we of course started at the grocery store. This is when I noticed a conspiracy! (hey, it is ats, lol)

Just a month before, they quite a few brands to choose from. But since then they only carry two brands. Heb store brand and kraft. I personally like tillamook. Never really tried anything fancier sadley.

Also, for living in one of the largest cities in the us, we only have 1 major grocery chain. Ughh.

Thanks, now to find better cheese!

reply to post by showintail


You may be able to pick up a used blender at a local thrift store. I've seen a lot of them there, for around $5.00 for a fairly decent one. Make sure to plug it in at the store, and run it through it's paces first. That will make all the difference in your finished soup. Also, when you go to reheat your soup, run it through the blender with a bit of milk to thin it out before reheating. Will always be smooth and silky.

Des

My favourite soup! And I always make it at home so here's what I do....

I never pre-cook the brocolli, always blend it while it's raw to keep the vitamins in before adding to the soup.... If this really isn't an option for you then just do what you normally do, cook & mash it, then set aside....

First, fry off a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic for a few minutes in a bit of olive oil, keep the temperature low though because otherwise the garlic will burn....

Add a glass or two of white wine and turn up the heat to evaporate the alcohol.

After a minute or so add about a pint of vegetable stock, homemade or from a cube whatever... Then add the brocolli. Boil gently for around 5 minutes....

Turn heat right down to a simmer then add a carton of light double cream.....Stir well before adding the cheese.

I always use blue cheese, preferably Gorgonzola or Stilton or Perl Las (a really delicious Welsh blue cheese) but Danish Blue works ok if you're on a budget....

Cheese goes very grainy under boiling conditions, keep the heat as low as possible until the cheese melts - then serve!

To be honest there's never any left for me to reheat so I have no clue how mine would fare upon reheating....

Can I ask, what cheese have you been using? And if you're trying to mash the brocolli into the soup with the cheese in, the cheese may well go grainy, cheese generally doesn't like being messed about with too much...

reply to post by caladonea

I do not own a blender, or any kitchen appliance other than a coffee pot, lol. And stove and fridge of course

Im thinking that may be one of the problems. But we do like the chunks of broccoli and onion.

reply to post by Destinyone


I may break down and get one. I have refused to have any because im in a old house full of cracks and holes with a cockroach infested house 3feet away. Once I got rid of the microwave my problem significantly reduced. So I dont encourage the little monsters back over lol

reply to post by paradisepurple

We have been using sharp chedder, colby jack, even queso quesadilla. Not always all together. Not sure I would like bleu cheese. But may try.

I mash the broccoli first. Cheese is the last addition. Trying not to ever let it boil. But I have five kids that always seem to pop up when I start adding the cheese lol. So I have learned when they start swarming, remove from heat!

Originally posted by showintail
reply to post by paradisepurple

 

We have been using sharp chedder, colby jack, even queso quesadilla. Not always all together. Not sure I would like bleu cheese. But may try.

I mash the broccoli first. Cheese is the last addition. Trying not to ever let it boil. But I have five kids that always seem to pop up when I start adding the cheese lol. So I have learned when they start swarming, remove from heat!

Hmm, sharp cheddar doesn't have great melting qualities, it does tend to go a bit 'gritty'... Mild cheddar melts really well but is TOO mild... Go for a good quality medium cheddar. And NEVER use ready-grated cheese or ready-sliced cheese....

Yeah, blue cheese is a bit of an aquired taste but it goes really great with the other ingredients... Try it, even my fella eats this soup and normally he promptly exits the room when I start munching on some blue cheese because it smells so bad

Yeah, if you can, get a blender, it will make a world of difference to the creaminess... what you can do if you prefer a chunkier soup is keep some brocolli aside to keep the chunky texture but blend the rest....

I'm hungry now...

Yumm...
Just in time for the start of cooler weather. My mom gave me this recipe and have always had good luck & others have loved it. Trick for creamy is cream cheese.
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 lb of chopped broccoli (I used the heads mostly)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 med onions (chopped)
1/4 lb butter
2 cups milk
4-5 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz bar cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
1. Boil the water, broccoli, bouillon cubes, & onions togather til vegtables are done (slightly soft). Do not drain.
2. Make a white sauce of the butter, milk, flour, salt, & blend in the cream cheese. Add this to the broccoli/onion mixture.
3. Warm to simmer (if you desire it thinner add a small amount of milk).
4. Serve in bowl or cup topped with desired amount of shredded cheddar which will melt into the warm soup.
Enjoy

reply to post by SeekingDepth


This is the right way.

One pot has the veggie/stock mix and another pot has the roux.

Butter and flour stirred and melted together, followed by milk/cream, salt and finally cheese. It should be thick. Add that to your reduced veggie/stock pot and you'll have great flavors and consistency.

Expensive cheddar, btw, is not right for this. Most of them are aged and have too low moisture.

Reheating a cheese based soup or sauce is always a problem
It needs to be done VERY slow and long to ensure the cheese that has ( though diluted ) started to re-set so to say, melts again fully
Another part of the problem is lost moisture due to evaporation through the cooling process thus a thicker more viscous sauce/soup, so always be on standby with extra stock or a little milk to loosen it up

The quality of cheddar used is a big factor too, not being funny but the US isn't exactly renowned for its cheese - i buy mine in bulk from the UK

Forgive my ignorence but what i call a strong mature chedder is something of a newish thing in the states
Blame Wallace and grommet lol
I heard that the interest for stronger cheeses ( especially cheddar ) grew, and a growth in domestic production came about shortly after Wallace and grommet hit the states, with their Wensleydale



Oops nearly forgot

SECRET INGREDIENTS
whole grain mustard - a heaped teaspoon per 500-750 ml sauce
Ground black pepper 10-15 twists per 500-750 ml
And parsley

Naturally add to taste - try each one and combine another time - find what you like
But even if you skip through all I've put and dismis it

WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD
Really

Tips for reheating creamy&cheesy:
melt a little fresh butter, cheese, and milk, with seasonings, like salt, and add that to the warmed soup. It's the same way I deal with freezing Alfredo. I make the stuff a touch light on butter and cheese, so when I add this stuff into the reheated version, it's still good.

For proper kick, without a lot of heat:
Get the Creole Seasoning Substitute this for the salt in the recipe. There's variations that have far less salt, but they're not as easy to find as this (like "Slap Ya Mama). You also might find Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Pizza & Pasta Magic: it is what I throw on everything.

For a touch of traditional Cajun:
Throw a little oil and flour in a pot, with a whisk, and turn it a caramel color without burning it. A Roux. You can do it without the oil, by baking it in the oven. It's about toasting the flour.
Holy Tirnity: bell pepper, onion, and celery--every other dish is made with it. Diced finely, cooked until the onion is clear, as a part of the base, most often.
Now, if you want heat, milk products overpower it, so you have to add a lot to get a heat kick. But most people are satisfied with the other flavoring hot sauce brings to milky dishes.