Panera Bread. That’s what I think of when I think of broccoli cheese soup. While that soup is incredibly popular for a reason, this one is a new take. It’s hearty and cheesy like a classic broccoli cheddar, but with fewer high fat ingredients and the addition of deliciously spiced sausage for some protein to make it a meal.
This recipe is chock full of vegetables and, while it does still have a good amount of cheddar, it’s reduced fat and not nearly as much as you’ll find in most broccoli cheese soups. You won’t find any heavy cream, sticks of butter or dollops of sour cream hiding in here. What you will find though, is a no-guilt, beautifully textured soup with the hearty, cheesiness you’re craving.
Ingredients:
(serves 6)
1 lb. turkey breakfast sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk (skim or fat-free)
2 medium potatoes (either white potatoes or sweet potatoes), peeled and diced small
1/2 tsp salt and freshly cracked pepper
4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large soup pot to medium high heat.
- Add the sausage and break up and brown.
- Once sausage is fully cooked, take it out of the soup pot with a slotted spoon. Leave the remaining grease for sautéing the vegetables.
- Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor
- Add chopped vegetables to the soup pot and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes
- Add flour, salt & pepper to the pot and stir until smooth and no flour is visible.
- Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set to high until soup boils. Then, cover & cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add broccoli and parmesan & stir well. Add salt & pepper as desired. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Add cheddar and stir well. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don’t have an immersion blender, remove approx. 2 cups of potatoes & broccoli (or more depending on how smooth you like your soup) and place in a regular blender–>like this one (my favorite!). Blend until smooth, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken the soup.
- Add the cooked sausage back into the soup and serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of cheddar and oyster crackers!