Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowl

When my husband and I lived in Colorado, we fell in love with the cafe Panera. They had the most magnificent soups and breads of all sorts and we particularly found their Broccoli Cheddar soup to be divine! So, I found a recipe that I tried that came pretty close and serving it in a sourdough bread bowl made it taste just like it! So here's the recipe for the soup. I bought the sourdough bread bowls at a local grocery store.


Broccoli Cheddar Soup


2 T. oil
2 potatoes, cubed small
1 onion, diced small
14 oz. frozen broccoli
4 1/2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
4 1/2 c. vegetable or beef stock
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (best if sharp)
paprika
Salt & Pepper


In a large (at least 2 quart) saucepan, cook onion and potatoes in oil for 5 minutes. Add broccoli to the pan and stir in blue cheese and stock. Cook covered and simmering for 25-30 minutes or potatoes are done. Transfer to food processor or blender and process until smooth. Do this in batches. Return to clean pan and add cream and pepper. Heat through. Slowly add cheddar cheese, a handful at a time and stir to melt. Sprinkle in a dash of paprika and check for salt.


This recipe makes a LOT of soup! It would be great for a party as I would guess it makes enough for at least 8 people. It's a delicious soup on a cold fall evening and tastes delicious with Saltine crackers. I never thought Saltine's could taste good either but the buttery flavor of them is fabulous with this soup. I hope you like it as much as my husband and I do!