B is for Broccoli Potato Soup

One of my favorite chain restaurants is Panera Bread, and at Panera, one of my favorite soups is their broccoli cheddar.  It is so good.  Every single time.  I've tried to find a recipe that tastes similar and gives you that warm, creamy, cozy feeling.  I wanted little chunks of broccoli and specks of carrots.  I wanted it to be thick and creamy without consisting entirely of heavy cream.  I believe I have finally found what I'm looking for, but unlike the soup at Panera, this recipe has a lot of potatoes in it to give it that wonderfully thick consistency.  I also don't add cheddar until I serve the soup because it tends to burn on the bottom of the pot, even when I use the lowest heat settings on my stove.  

The recipe for this soup comes from a Southern Living Homestyle Cookbook that Peter's grandmother gave me for Christmas one year.  This cookbook is unreal; everything I've made from it has been absolutely fantastic.  If you're thinking about buying a new cookbook, get this one!  

Broccoli potato soup is perfect this weekend because even though spring has officially arrived, we're still having cold and snowy weather.  Yes, snow!  We woke up this morning with about an inch of snow on the ground.  Fortunately the roads are clear and things seem to be melting away quickly.  If we had any real accumulation, we'd probably have a snow day tomorrow and I do not want to be making up those missed days when I need time to work on report cards.  March and April is a busy time for third grade teachers because not only do we have report cards, we also have to kick into major test prep mode to get the kiddos ready for the SOL's in May.  

If you make this soup, serve it the next day because it is that much better after the flavors have melded and matured.  It's good on the first day.  It's incredible on the second day!  

Broccoli Potato Soup

Adapted from Southern Living Homestyle Cookbook

6 or 7 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, chopped

2-3 celery ribs, chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 8 oz. package Neufchatel or cream cheese

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 c. milk

2 c. water

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

salt and pepper

3 broccoli crowns, chopped

white cheddar cheese, grated 

Combine the potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots in a large pot;  add water to cover and sprinkle in some salt.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.  Drain.  Mash the vegetables to create the consistency you desire.  Take softened cream cheese and butter and mix with an electric mixer until creamy.  Slowly add the chicken soup and beat well.  Stir in the 2 cups of milk with a spatula and add the creamy milk mixture to the pot with vegetables.  Stir in 2 cups of water, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil while stirring and then add the broccoli.  Reduce heat to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  You can use an immersion blender to thin out some of the broccoli and potato chunks if you want the soup to be thinner.