How Do Restaurants Make Their Broccoli Cheese Soup So Creamy

Topped with homemade croutons, this creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself and ready in under an hour.

Topped with crisp homemade croutons, this rich and creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself. It's perfect to ward off the evening chill, and it's ready in under an hour.

What you'll need to make Broccoli Soup

For the ingredients, you'll need the basics, plus white wine and Gruyère, a nutty and earthy-tasting cheese from Switzerland. Since the recipe only calls for a half cup of wine, I use a small bottle from a four-pack — they're inexpensive and great to keep on hand for cooking. Gruyère is available at most large grocery stores, Whole Foods, or gourmet markets.

How to make broccoli soup

Begin by chopping your vegetables. No need to chop them too finely since they all get puréed in the end.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.

Cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced.

Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the cream.

Then purée until smooth.

Gradually add the cheese, stirring until smooth. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

What you'll need to make the croutons

While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. You'll need bread cubes (preferably day old), butter, salt, and pepper.

How to make the croutons

Melt the butter in the microwave, then toss it with the bread cubes directly on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons. Enjoy!

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Broccoli & Cheese Soup with Homemade Croutons

Topped with homemade croutons, this creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself and ready in under an hour.

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 1-3/4 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 pound broccoli, florets and stems, roughly chopped
• 4 cups (32 oz) low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half, for a lighter version)
• 1 heaping cup grated Gruyère, packed (you'll need about 3 oz.)
• Pinch nutmeg

For the Croutons

• 2 cups cubed French Bread, preferably day old
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the Soup

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced, a few minutes.
3. Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the heavy cream; then, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape.) Bring the soup to a simmer, then gradually stir in the cheese, stirring until melted. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add about 1/4 teaspoon more salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with croutons.

For the Croutons

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Directly on the baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, tossing once, until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp.
3. Note: The soup thickens as it sits; add a bit of water to thin it out if necessary.

Nutrition Information

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• Per serving (6 servings)
• Calories: 414
• Fat: 31g
• Saturated fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Sugar: 6g
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 13g
• Sodium: 700mg
• Cholesterol: 95mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

• Soups
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Celery
• Fall
• Gruyère
• White Wine
• Winter

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How Do Restaurants Make Their Broccoli Cheese Soup So Creamy

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