Broccoli Soup With Cheddar Potato Skins Food

POTATO, BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4 to 5 quart pot, heat olive oil on medium heat.
• Add celery and onions, and sauté until they are softened about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and salt. Cover with a lid.
• Bring liquid to a boil, then lower heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Clean the outer skins of the broccoli and chop them into tiny, bite-size pieces. In a medium pot, bring 1-inch of water to a boil, then add broccoli and cover.
• Simmer the broccoli on a low boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the broccoli to steam for another 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. The color of the broccoli should be bright green and tender.
• Add only HALF the cooked broccoli to the potatoes. Reserve and set aside the other half.
• Using an immersion hand-held blender, begin to slowly pulse up and down directly inside the large pot of soup to puree the potato and broccoli. Puree until well blended. If you don't have one, then blend in your blender but only in small batches and only use the lowest speed. The heat of the soup could pop the lid off the blender, so be extra careful.
• Stir in the remaining cooked broccoli and cheddar cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted and blended. Season with fresh cracked pepper to taste.
• Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Serve warm.
• Optional: Before serving, top each bowl with some crumbled bacon pieces or croutons.
• Serves 6 to 8

BROCCOLI & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in broccoli; return to a boil., In a small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth; stir into soup. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly., Process in batches in a blender until smooth. Return to pan; heat through. Sprinkle servings with cheese and parsley.

POTATO, BROCCOLI AND CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stock pot saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, water and bouillon cubes. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove tough outer skin of broccoli stems and cook broccoli. Once cooked add to soup.
• In a blender or food processor puree half of the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add cheese and heat soup through until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

CHEDDAR CHEESE POTATO BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• In a 3 quart saucepan, melt butter and saute onions.
• Add potatoes, water, and bouillon cubes. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Cook just until potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, Place frozen broccoli and cheddar cheese in crock pot on low to start melting and thawing.
• Once the potatoes are done, using a hand blender, blend contents of saucepan to desired consistency and then pour into the crock pot.
• Heat on low until warmed.
• (If you don't want to use a crock pot for this, after blending potatoes to desired consistency, mix in thawed broccoli and heat on medium low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts).

BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR-STUFFED POTATO SKINS WITH AVOCADO CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pierce potatoes several times with a fork and wrap in paper towels. Microwave on high for 13 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. Remove from microwave and cool until potatoes are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8 inch of the inside of the potato, leaving skin intact. Reserve scooped potato flesh for another use.
• Brush both inside and outside of potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down, on a baking sheet and bake until skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the filling. Steam the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve.
• To make avocado cream, combine scallion whites, avocado, sour cream lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt in the small bowl of a food processor and process on high until smooth. About 30 seconds.
• Toss the broccoli with cheese and spoon filling evenly among potatoes. Lower oven to 400 degrees F and return potatoes to oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 teaspoon crisped bacon bits.

POTATO CHEDDAR SOUP WITH BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven cook onions in hot oil and butter until soft and golden brown.
• Add garlic and continue cooking.
• Add potatoes, carrots, and chicken stock.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, separate broccoli into small flowerets (reserve) and tender stems, discarding tough stems.
• Coarsely chop tender stems.
• Core and separate cauliflower into small flowerets.
• Add broccoli stems and cauliflower to potato mixture.
• Cover; simmer 45 minutes.
• Add broccoli flowerets and cook, covered, for 15 minutes more.
• Add milk, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper to vegetable mixture.
• Lightly puree with a potato masher until coarsely blended to desired texture.
• Add water, if needed, to desired consistency.
• Note: I use an immersible blender.