Thursday, January 2, 2014

HEALTHY Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Ellie Krieger!

Ellie Krieger's Broccoli Cheddar Soup
from her Web site
When it comes to favorite foods and healthier versions, I always look to Ellie Krieger. She's a wonderful nutritionis/chef with a number of terrific cookbooks and a great Web site.  I own "The Food You Crave" which I have mentioned here on the blog before, writing about such recipes as Sloppy Joes and Pumpkin Muffins.  My Roasted Butternut Squash Mac 'N Cheese was greatly inspired by one of Ellie's recipes.  Ellie knows that we want the foods we want, and she brings those comforting indulgences to us in much more nutrition-friendly renditions.  You CAN indulge without guilt!

Today I bring you Ellie's healthy recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Here in the northeast, we are experiencing a winter storm named Hercules with lots of snow and temperatures hovering at or below zero. I don't know how Herculean this storm is -- just seems like typical winter snow and cold so far -- but a warm bowl of steaming, cheesy soup would really take the chill off! And since we're so new into 2014, trimming that rich, indulgent dish of some of its calories and fat (without even noticing!) is a very good idea!



Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup lightly packed, shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large head broccoli, florets and tender part of stems, chopped (6 cups)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

In a small saucepan whisk the milk and flour together until the flour is dissolved. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Then the reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

Working with about 1 cup at a time, puree the broccoli mixture in a blender until it is mostly smooth but still has some chunks, and then transfer it to another pot. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender). Stir the cheese mixture into the broccoli puree, season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium-low heat for an additional 3-5 minutes, until warmed through.

Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 ½ cups

Per Serving:
Calories 290; Total Fat 15 g; (Sat Fat 8 g, Mono Fat 5.2 g, Poly Fat 0.85 g) ; Protein 19 g; Carb 23 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 35 mg; Sodium 620 mg

Excellent source of: Calcium, Folate, Iodine, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good source of: Copper, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Pantothenic Acid, Selenium, Niacin, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Zinc

Copyright 2011 Ellie Krieger All rights reserved 

Ellie's Web site: http://www.elliekrieger.com/broccoli-cheddar-soup

11 comments:

  1. Jeannie, I am definitely going to make this Broccoli and Cheddar Soup. It will be perfect on this below zero day. Your post resonates with me, especially the parts "we want the foods we want" and "you CAN indulge without guilt". Thank you for sharing your talents. (But if I am honest, your dessert creations are what I would really like to make!) Sue Dunbar Smith

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, Sue! So happy you enjoy the blog. Keep coming back!

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  2. YUM! This sounds delicious - and so easy! My kind of recipe. Pinning! :)

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  3. I am so eager to try this recipe that I used my Kohl's Bucks toward a Cuisinart hand blender. No excuses now I must make it to give the hand blender a try.
    thanks for the inspiration.
    Happy New Year

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    1. Judy, that's great! Let me know how you liked the recipe!

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  4. Looks yummy. Perfect for a cold winter day!

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  5. I have actually made this soup before and let me say...it does NOT disappoint! I'm a huge Ellie Krieger fan as well and have never tried a recipe of hers that didn't deliver big on taste. The fact that she makes recipes that are healthy fo us, is simply icing on the cake!

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  6. we made this soup last night! only problem was that we got a little overexcited with the pureeing, and it came out far too smooth with no chunks of broccoli left. we ended up eating it as a sauce of sorts, poured over spaghetti, instead of as soup, but it was still delicious. :)

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  7. Jeannie, this soup sounds yummy. thanks for sharing the recipe. I can't ever figure out how to sign in, hence the "anonymous" designation. Have a good weekend, Mary Cogan

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  8. Tnx fore information


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