Just about everyone swoons over a delicious bowl of creamy brocolli soup. Learn to put this wonderful recipe
together and this easy gourmet soup will quickly become your go-to favorite!
Gourmet gravies and creamy soups all start with a thickened sauce made with either stock, broth, or pan drippings from roasting a peice of meat.
In this recipe you will learn how to create the thickener that professional chef's make. It is called a French roux, and is the most durable and delicious way to make it.
Once learned, it is simple to do, requiring just a few minutes, but makes all the difference in the flavor, texture, and durability of the dish. While sauces tend to separate, dishes created with this method scream gourmet, because the flavor is rich, having no hint of commercial flavorings. Sauces made this way have a deep, engaging flavor. And even individuals with no knowledge of cooking, can easily tell that the flavor and texture of their meal has something more to it than just an ordinary everyday taste and feel.
Follow Along To The Creamy Brocolli Cheese Soup Recipe Bellow
How to Bring Ordinary Cream Based Recipes From Good to...
Gourmet Fantastic!
Meat recipes smothered in delicious soupy sauces, if done correctly, all begin with the humble little French roux. This, easy to learn, technique can transform a good (but ordinary) recipe into an amazing meat dish smothered in 'ooo la la' fabulous sauces, not to mention that this technique is the base for creating creamy soups that taste and feel deliciously complicated, French and way more gourmet.
The technique highlighted in this recipe is the very same professional technique that is the standard in many sauce recipes. These sauces, smooth and amazing, begin as easy and humble soups and gravies that are catapulted into exciting, new gourmet soups and sauces simply by introducing more adventurous liquids, creams, and spices, taking the common French roux, into an entirely new and direction.
Why a French roux, why not just dump in some ole-fashioned flour and water drizzle?
Not only is the French roux way more delicious, because it cooks the flour, transforming it into a fragrantly new version of itself, but the roux technique actually fries the flour in a way that lifts its common taste into a flavor-bouquet that cannot be obtained through any other cooking technique.
A well-done roux creates strength. Other sauces, soups, and gravies will invariably and quickly fall apart, separating into liquid and solids. The roux, however, will not fall apart, breaking up into its elements. The humble roux has amazing staying power that will maintain the complexity of your wonderful meal, until the very last morsel is devoured.
French Roux, Soup & Gravy Base, Step-by-Step
Method:
This is a quick process, requiring constant stirring.
Ratio:
4 Tbl. butter | 4 Tbl. flour | 2 cups liquid | please note: for soups add more liquid.
Steps:
1. melt butter
2. stir in flour
3. stir till flour has a slight nutty aroma and becomes slightly darker in color
4. stir vigorously while adding broth, continue vigorous stirring until smooth, creamy, and thickened
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Intermediate | Main Dish | Soup | Serves 6 - 8
Creamy Brocolli Cheese Soup
INGREDIENTS
3 cups sharp chedder cheese, shredded
1 lb brocolli uncooked, cleaned and chopped, set aside
3 tablespoons (or more) olive oil
2 finely diced medium yellow or white onions
1- 2 stalks of very finely diced celery
3 cloves garlic , minced, or substitute with 1 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups of broth prepared from Goya Powdered Chicken Bouillon*
1 teaspoon ground unprepared mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
Salt to taste, as desired
Please note: Goya Powdered Chicken Bouillon can be substituted with 4 cans low-sodium chicken broth, however, the flavor of the Goya chicken broth is outstanding in this recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk sour cream vigorously until it becomes smooth and soft, set aside uncovered to reach room temperature.
Clean, dry and chop brocolli, set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and brocolli, saute until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 1 or 2 more minutes. Set all sauted vegetables aside in a separate container with a cover. Add a cup of water to the saute skillet. Scape the inside of the skillet well with a spatular or wooden spoon. Pour all the drippings and juices into the container and set side.
Mix and place the 4 cups of bouillon in a pourable container. Set it off to the side, but available for pouring in the next step.
Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium to high heat, add ¼ cup flour. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes a light to medium caramel color and releases a slight nutty aroma.
Turn the heat completely off and while stirring vigorously, carefully pour ALL the liquid over the mixture as quickly as possible, while continuing to stir VIGOROUSLY. The vigorous stirring will stop any lumps from forming. Vigorously stir until the entire sauce is smooth and well incorporated. This step will only take a minute or so. It goes very fast.
Please note that immediately when the liquid touches the mixture, the flour will respond by fluffing up. If the fluffed up flour receives plenty of liquid and is being vigorously stirred, it will immediately become a wonderful smooth mixture. If the flour does not receive enough liquid as it passes through this fluffy stage, the flour will respond by becoming lumpy. And once these lumps form it takes several minutes of vigorous stirring to eliminate them and it may not be possible to eliminate all the lumps. The short answer is to pour all the liquid into the flour mixture at the same time while vigorously stirring for approximately 10 or 20 seconds. This process will cause the mixture to become a smooth thin creamy sauce.
Now, turn the heat back on and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. This part does not require vigorous stirring, and will only take a few minutes. Once the sauce thickens, a bit, the process is complete.
At this point it is time to add the spices along with the sauted vegetables.
Stir everything until well blended.
Add the sour cream and mix well. Then add the heavy cream, mix well to incorporate, and finish by adding most of the cheese, stirring gently to incorporate. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and the soup is done.
