Chunky Herb Broccoli Soup

It's that time. Winter hit us hard this week with snow, freezing winters and plummeting temperatures. And just in time: We had an abundance of broccoli just sitting in our fridge, waiting to be used.

So we decided to free-form some soup because we wanted something different than the last batch of broccoli soup we made.

We sauteed mirepoix in a bit stock pot in some butter. Then we added the broccoli and chicken broth. We thickened it up with flour and milk. And we infused flavor with a bunch of herbs: thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, pepper, salt and oregano. We topped it by adding some creaminess in the form of monterey jack and cheddar cheeses.


And the finished product, rife with large chunks of broccoli, carrots, celery and onion.


It wasn't quite what we were shooting for. However, the flavors came together; it was a tangy herb melange punctuated with bites of broccoli and some of the other vegetables. It actually proved to be a good recipe with the flavor imparted by the herbs and the texture stemming from the chunky vegetables.

Chunky Herb Broccoli Soup
(8 to 10 servings)
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 medium heads broccoli, chopped
flour
milk
60 ounces chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1. Saute the carrots, celery and onions in butter. Add the garlic and broccoli florets.

2. Add the chicken broth. In a serarate bowl, combine the milk and flour and then add to the mixture. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add the thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, pepper and salt. Simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Add the monterey jack and cheddar. Simmer another 5 minutes. Serve.