Recipes

[GOLDEN KAREN]

I got this recipe from an mail from Cooking.com which says it is from Eating Well Magazine. I made it this morning & it is delicious. It calls for1 pound of broccoli crowns, trimmed & chopped (about 6 c.). I think I had more than that, might have been 8 c. A couple of things - the instructions say to transfer half the mixture with half the cheese to the blender. I DO NOT RECCOMEND THIS! I have the ninja & the inside is not covered with this mess that is almost glued to the container & I'm not sure I will be able to get it all off. If anyone has any ideas on how to get it clean feel free to chime in. Anyway, I noticed this after my first round of pureeing & didn't add the rest of the cheese to the mixture. I sprinkled it over the soup I had already pureed & just let it melt. Anyway, I saved about a cup & a half of the mixture & did not puree it to add texture to the soup. It is very thick so I added some cream but you could easily just add more chicken stock (or vegetable if you want to keep it vegetarian). I also took a clove of garlic & used my microplane & grated it into the soup. I used sharp cheddar but it if you want to use low fat, I'm sure it would be just as good. Anyway, It is really good & I hope you like it.

Broccoli, White Bean & Cheddar Soup

1 14 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 c. water

1 lb. broccoli crowns, trimmed & chopped (about 6c.)

1 14 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1c. shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Bring broth & water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat (I used a dutch oven). Add broccoli, cover & continue cooking until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, salt & pepper & continue cooking until the beans are heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer half the mixture to a blender with half the cheese & puree (I would not add the cheese at all, puree some of the soup, pour into a storage bowl & sprinkle the cheese on top, then add more of the pureed soup, it will melt ok) (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining broccoli mixture. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings (scant 1 c. each).