My boyfriend’s brother swears that eating primarily soup during the cold months is the best way to keep warm. And I have to say, I’m going to trust what he says because he is a mechanic and works outside all winter long. So if he has found a way to keep warm, I’m following suit! I am partial to Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup and served with a loaf of crusty french bread.

What to eat with soup

There are many great pairings to eat with soup. I’m partial to a crusty french bread or sourdough and if i find it, a bread bowl! Other tried and true options include oyster crackers, saltines and townhouse flipsides. Some offbeat options include fresh croutons, toasted baguette and homemade crumb toppings. If you want to learn some fun facts about soup, check out the survey results Campbell’s published last year HERE.

Soup is a very cost effective, easy filling meal to make. The overall cost of this broccoli cheese soup is about $15 (this is also San Francisco grocery prices, so they are very inflated from other parts of the country) and it comes out to about 6 servings. This will be a good go to recipe in January for when it’s cold and we are all broke after the holiday season haha

One part of living in San Francisco that I haven’t gotten used to yet is not having seasons. San Francisco is in a microclimate so it stays about 65 degrees all year long. The temperature doesn’t fluctuate between seasons and even though we live in the “sunny” area, it’s foggy and cold a lot of the time. Cold weather comfort food is a must, because we need it all year long! I’m ok with it because it’s my favorite type of food.

More Soup Recipes

• Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• Creamy Potato Soup
• New England Corn Chowder
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Italian Wedding Soup
• French Onion Soup

5 from 8 votes

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Warm up this winter with a classic Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Panera made this a cold weather staple, now it's time to make it at home!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword broccoli cheddar soup

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Calories 509 kcal

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Onion Diced
• 1 Cup Carrots Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 2 Cups Half and Half
• 3 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Head Broccoli Chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese Grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large dutch oven. Add onion and carrot and cook over medium heat until softened. 

2. Mix in flour and stir to coat. Stir in half and half and chicken stock. Add broccoli, bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Remove bay leaf and stir in cheddar cheese. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend soup together. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 509 Calories from Fat 342

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 38g 58%

Saturated Fat 23g 115%

Cholesterol 113mg 38%

Sodium 647mg 27%

Potassium 692mg 20%

Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 5g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 106.1%

Vitamin C 113.9%

Calcium 49%

Iron 9.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Arya’s Corner

Arya likes to sleep upside down and usually on me. She’s been doing this since she was a baby and for whatever reason this pose stuck! Anyone else have a weird cat?