Healthy(er) Broccoli Cheese Soup

From my senior year in high school to my winter break of sophomore year at Fordham, I worked at Panera Bread back in Connecticut.  And I loved it.  Seriously, if I hadn't needed to grow up and get a full-time office job, I would have kept working at Panera through last summer.  But now I'm at Travelers, and I love them too.

I have lots of love for my workplaces.

Sadly, my Panera days are no more, but that does NOT mean I have forgotten my Panera roots (my Sears roots, however?  Long gone.  Loooong gone).  I visit and eat there every time I go home, even though I want to jump behind the counter and make everything myself, because the food is actually good!  No, really... I'll bet that anyone who worked at McDonald's or something never wanted to eat that food again.  But even though all of the Panera food isn't as healthy as you think it is, it is fresh and it isn't so bad for you.

And what is the one thing that always, always, always reminds me of Panera?  Broccoli Cheddar Soup.  Do you know how healthy restaurant Broc-Ched soup is for you?  Not healthy at all.  Do I still eat it?  Yessirree!  However, when I'm making broccoli cheddar soup at home, I try not to fill it with bad stuff, for my own sanity.  I found this recipe, originally published in Cooking Light magazine, and it has worked out really well for me.  I do think that my version looks better than the one on the webpage... but you can decide that for yourself.

Enjoy my version of Healthy Panera Broccoli-Cheese Soup (and the pictures to go with it)!
(P-dub, I love you, I do.  But your soup is fattening.  And full of sodium.  I'm sorry.  I can't help it).


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What you'll need:

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2.5 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 - 20oz. package of broccoli florets (whatever you can find)
• 2.5 cups 1% milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (you can do low-fat if you want... I didn't!)
• Extra virgin olive oil

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How to make it:

1.  Heat a little bit of olive oil over medium heat in a large pan.  Add in onions and garlic and sauté until soft (about three minutes).

This is about a cup of onion - one half of a medium-to-large onion

2.  Add in your broccoli florets (they shouldn't be completely frozen; if they are, just defrost them in the microwave for a little while).  Pour in broth at the same time.  Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down to medium heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

 The broccoli is still a bit frozen, but I got it to break up.

That's what you want!

Covering the broccoli mixture makes it boil faster

...or that's my philosophy, at least

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and milk until there are no lumps.  Then, pour it into the broccoli mixture (still over medium heat) and stir until it thickens.

 Note that I transferred everything to a bigger pot.

I'm bad at planning ahead

As you're stirring, you can also mash up some of the broccoli if you have some pent-up anger.

I didn't have any pent-up anger- it just saved me a step later.

Plus, it was fun.

 

Another note: it's difficult to both cook and take pictures while your mother is also cooking dinner on the stove.

It's probably easier just to kick her out at this point.

(Just kidding, Mom)

 

Would you look at that?  Your broccoli is all mashed up already.  Good job!

If you chose not to mash, take about a third of the mix and put it into a blender.

Then, add it back into the pot.

3.  What's missing from this very pale picture?  Ah, that's right: cheese.  Remove the pot from heat and stir in your cheese (a little extra never hurts, either).

 

Now, that's the stuff.

 

Look at this color!  That's looking more like broccoli-cheddar soup

4.  Oops!  Forgot the pepper.  Stir in 1/4 tsp (or a couple shakes) of black pepper (and maybe even a little salt too).

 

I hate black pepper, but I relented.  It's not so bad.

6.  Check for taste and make sure it's seasoned well!

 

Yeah, baby, that's some good soup.

Just take a little taste and make sure it's up to par...

 

...but make sure you don't drop your spoon in the pot of soup.

That's what I get for trying to take a one-handed photo.

That's a good lookin' spoonful of soup!

AND A DARN GOOD PICTURE, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF!

Broccoli cheddar perfection
It goes great with a salad and some bread...

... or right into the Tupperware to freeze.
The things I do for my family.

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If you freeze your soup, like I had to (I'm still getting over it), make sure that you reheat it on the stove, not in the microwave.  The microwave will just make it gloopy and weird.

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Recipe review:

One thing I did not mention is that in high school, I made homemade broccoli cheddar soup for my then-boyfriend Nick.  And let me tell you, THAT SOUP WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD!  But it also had butter, Velveeta cheese, and lots of whole milk.  No good.

This recipe is so great because a lot of it is actually chicken stock, and you can use skim milk without it tasting bad!  The key is in cooking down the chicken stock so that it is concentrated enough to get the right consistency.  It's flavorful and much lower in calories, fat, and sodium.  I'm always a fan of more rather than less cheese, but as you can see from the color of the final product, this is plenty cheesy.

The final grade for this recipe is definitely an A.  But I'm not saying that you shouldn't still stop at Panera from time to time...!

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For next time...

• I wonder what other types of cheese would taste like!  I challenge one of you to tackle that
• Different vegetables??  Maybe....?
• Don't drop the spoon in the soup.  It will not behoove you.

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Got any recipes that mimic your favorite restaurants' dishes?  Share them in the comments section!

Beef and Mushroom Stew, aka, The Perfect Snow Day Food

I'm not sure about you, but I hate the cold.  Hate it.  I was born and raised in New England, and I still have no tolerance for bitter winter cold.  So when I knew it was going to snow last week, I rushed out and got ingredients to make this deliciouso Beef and Mushroom Stew.  Actually, I made Joe run out and get the ingredients.  But I came up with the idea, so it's the same thing, right?

My obsessive need to make this stew came out of my obsessive need to read The Pioneer Woman every day.  Now that I've introduced you to it, I'm sure you are obsessed, too.  And if you still haven't gone to The Pioneer Woman, go.  Here.  Now.

Thank you, Ree Drummond (aka, the Pioneer Woman), for your wonderful Beef and Mushroom Stew.  And thank you, Google, for teaching me how much oil and cornstarch to use in substitution for butter and flour.  Because of course, I couldn't have convinced Joe to go to the store for me (in the bitter cold) if he couldn't eat the finished product.

Compromise- it's a beautiful thing.

So, here it is - my gluten free, dairy free version of the Beef and Mushroom Stew:

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What you'll need:

•  2 pounds of stew beef (you might want to cut the chunks in half if they're too big)
•  2 tablespoons cornstarch
•  5 tablespoons olive oil
•  2 whole shallots, diced
•  3 cloves garlic, minced
•  8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms (or portobello, cut into chunks)
•  1/2 cup red cooking wine (or real wine- but it's up to you)
•  1/2 can beef broth (GF) or about 300 mL
•  Water, equal to the amount of beef broth
•  Salt and pepper
•  GF Pasta or rice
•  2 sprigs fresh thyme
•  1 tablespoon cornstarch

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How to make it:

1)  Put meat in large mixing bowl and sprinkle cornstarch over it.  Toss meat with your hands to coat (don't worry about getting messy, it's part of the process!).


2)  Pour oil into heavy pot or Dutch oven and warm.  Brown meat over high heat in batches and place on a plate, covered, when done.

The meat and I got into a little tiff at this part because it kept splattering me.

Don't worry, it made up for that later.

...when I ate it.

3)  Add shallots and garlic to the pot, without cleaning (I didn’t have any shallots, so I used small onions.  They work just as well).  Sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat.

Mmm, look at all that yummy meat goodness.  Perfect for sautéing delicious onions and garlic.

I love onions and garlic.

4)  Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

Not ready

 

 Ready

5)   Pour in wine, broth, and water, plus add a little salt and pepper, to taste.

 

Adding salt and pepper is really just a chance to sneak a little taste...

The more tasting, the better.

6)  Bring to a boil, and add the meat back into the pot (with all of the yummy juice!).  Reduce heat to low.

 

Meat, meet mushrooms.  I think you two will be very happy together.

Says my tummy.

7)    Add thyme sprigs to pot.  Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

All ready to simmer.
Simmer well, friends.

 Bye-bye for now.

It's a sad farewell.

But we shall meet again.

 Back so soon?!

(I forgot the thyme)

((You can put in extra thyme if you want))

(((If you're feeling really thymey, that is)))

8)  After the stew is done simmering, mix one tablespoon cornstarch with a little water until there are no lumps.  Stir it into the stew and cook for 10 more minutes, to thicken.  Turn off heat and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.  The longer you let it sit, the more tender the beef will be!

Voila!  Beef and Mushroom Stew.

This picture does not do it justice, trust me.

So go make it yourself!

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Recipe Review:

I first must say that I absolutely love mushrooms.  I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Therefore, this stew was perfect for me!  Although the beef wasn't really tender enough when I ate my first helping (I would have let it sit longer, but I was running off to rehearsal), after sitting on the stove with the heat turned off, the beef got super tender for leftovers!

But the real star of this meal was the broth.  When I tasted this broth, it was fall-on-the-ground, knock-your-socks-off delicious.  I think the reason is because everything is cooked in one pan, so all of the seared goodness of the meat is incorporated into the final product.

But really, this stew is really easy and incredibly flavorful, and you will thank yourself for making it.  A great staple means... A FULL FIVE STARS!

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For next time...

I really wouldn't make very many changes to this, but you could...

• Add a half cup more wine, a half cup more broth, and a half cup more water.  I love more broth, but you might have to check to see if it needs more seasoning
• Add potatoes, carrots, or other kinds of veggies.  Honestly, I wouldn't because I love it how it is, but if you want to stretch it further that will help!

What's your favorite food to eat on snow days?