Broccoli Cheese Chowder

The first of the requested recipes! How funny that even though it's not quite "soup weather" yet, the only two soups I'm making this month are what you wanted! The Olive Garden Toscana Soup will be up later this week, but for now, let's make some chowder!

My recipe is based on the one from The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen, which is one of my favorite cookbooks. I love that the foods in it are organized by season. It makes me feel like I'm making a "holiday" recipe no matter what time of year it is. :) The only things that I do different are halve it (because we're a small family), add more cheese, and use this faithful friend:



Don't hate me because I love dehydrated onion. It's just so easy! To be fair, I did try the recipe with real onions sautéed in butter once. And we really just didn't like it as much. The tiny pieces of chopped dried onion work better, because they don't interrupt the velvety texture of this dish. That's my humble opinion, at least.

On to the recipe!

1 bunch fresh broccoli, chopped
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 c. chicken broth
3/4 t. salt
1 T dried onion
1 generous c. grated cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli until tender—I prefer to steam it. In a medium pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, and let the resulting roux cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. This will result in a less "floury" taste to the final product. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, salt, and dried onion. Stir frequently until it begins to boil and thicken. Whisk in the cheddar until fully incorporated. Don't skimp on the cheese; it's what makes this dish great! Finally, mix in the broccoli. Serve in bread bowls or with dinner rolls. (The roll recipe I use can be found here).

This is one of our family favorites. My husband especially loves it, surprisingly, since he's not generally a soup fanatic like me. But this is one of the few recipes that he's given a 10. He proclaims his undying love for me whenever I announce that I'm going to make it. Give it a try and see if you get the same result. :)