Recipes and photos courtesy of Cuisine at Home magazine
The best thing about this slow-cooker soup is that it prepares itself while you enjoy time on the river or relax with a book under a shade tree — plus it feeds a crowd.
Cheese Soup with Broccoli & Cauliflower
Makes 8 servings (11 cups)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours (low heat)
Per serving: 298 calories; 21g total fat (14g saturated); 65mg cholesterol; 781mg sodium; 14g carb; 3g fiber; 16g protein
- 1 head broccoli, chopped (reserve 2 cups florets)
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped (reserve 2 cups florets)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 cups shredded white American cheese (12 oz.)
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Toss together chopped broccoli,cauliflower, onion, celery, carrot and flour in a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir in broth, garlic and 1 tsp. salt. Cover slow cooker; cook until vegetables are tender, on low-heat setting for 3 hours.
- Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return puréed soup to the slow cooker.
- Stir in cheese, half-and-half,lemon juice and cayenne. Cover soup; cook on low-heat setting for 10 minutes.
- Add reserved broccoli and cauliflower florets. Cover soup; cook on low-heat setting until florets are tender, 45–60 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Easy, Cheesy Goodness!
This soup is smooth, creamy and rich. Broccoli and cauliflower make it a meal. We chose American cheese because it melts easily and won’t get grainy. Ask for it at your supermarket deli. Shredding the cheese before adding it to the soup ensures that it will melt quickly.
