Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Cheese Toasts
Low in fat and packed with veggies, it’s a healthier twist on an age-old favourite
This healthy spin on a classic soup is sure to become an instant staple in your house. Low in fat and packed with veggies it’s perfect for a cold day. It uses broth and milk instead of the traditional cream, but trust us — it’s as creamy and delicious as the higher-cal classic. Pair it with Cheese Toasts and you’ve got a quick and easy meal that’s ready in no time — so you can make a pot for dinner even during the workweek.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli (approx 6 cups)
- 2 large potatoes (Russet or Yukon gold)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, skin on
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chicken/vegetable stock/broth or water
- 2-4 cups 2% milk
- 1 cup old cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Toasts:
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups old orange cheddar
- 1 tsp chili flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400F.
Prepare your vegetables. Remove stem from head of broccoli, trim bottom, peel and cut into 1-inch chunks. Cut or tear broccoli head into large florets, roughly 2 inches in size. Peel potatoes and onion and roughly chop into 1 inch chunks. Add all chopped veggies plus garlic cloves to a large baking sheet. Drizzle over 3 tbsp olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss, then transfer to oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until very tender but not mushy. Cool for 5 minutes.
Remove skins from garlic cloves and add to blender along with remaining cooked vegetables and 2 cups of stock/broth or water. Purée until very smooth. Add contents of blender and milk as desired to stock pot and simmer until hot. (If desired you can strain the vegetable purée into the milk.) The longer you simmer, the thicker it will become.
While soup simmers make your cheese toasts. Cut sourdough into 8, ½ inch thick slices. Brush all slices with olive oil. Divide cheese and chili flakes among all 8 pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400F until cheese is melted. Keep an eye on the oven as this will take only a few minutes!
Once the soup is hot, stir in the remaining grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cheese toasts with your soup, enjoy!