White Cheddar Potato Broccoli Soup with Asiago Croutons

white cheddar potato broccoli soup asiago croutons extra sharp white cheddar slices

Ingredients

This delicious and rich meal is comfort food in a bowl. Paired with crispy asiago croutons, it will satisfy your craving for everything cheese.

  • ½ medium Onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Cache Valley® Butter + ½ cup Butter
  • 1 lb Broccoli, cleaned, stems peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
    • Optional Shortcut: Substitute a 16 oz bag of Frozen Broccoli
  • 2 cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
    • Optional Shortcut: Substitute a 16 oz bag of Frozen Shredded Hashbrowns
  • 2 cups Milk + 4 cups Milk
  • 2 Chicken Boullion Cubes or Chicken Boullion Paste
  • ½ cup White Flour
  • 2 cups shredded Cache Valley® Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings:

  • Crumbled Bacon
  • Asiago Croutons
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Asiago Cheese Croutons:

  • 6 cups Cubed Bread
  • ¼ cup melted Cache Valley® butter
  • One clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • ½ cup shredded Cache Valley® Asiago Cheese
  • Dash of Smoked Paprika to taste

Steps

  • In a large pot, SAUTÉ onion in 3 tablespoons of Cache Valley® butter until almost soft but not browned.
  • ADD broccoli and potatoes to the pot. POACH the onion and broccoli in 2 cups milk + 2 chicken bouillon cubes until tender but not soft. Be careful not to overcook.
  • In the meantime, make a roux. In another pan, MELT ½ cup Cache Valley® butter. Once melted, WHISK IN ½ cup flour until smooth. COOK on low heat until bubbly. Be vigilant, and stir constantly, as the roux can burn quickly.
  • ADD 4 cups of milk to the roux and simmer on low heat until thickened, stirring with a whisk every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning—season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • ADD the white sauce to the veggies and stir to incorporate.
  • REMOVE from heat. Partially PUREE the vegetables and liquid with a stick blender or in batches in the blender. For a smooth soup, blend entirely; for a chunkier consistency, remove 1 cup of vegetables before blending and add back to the soup once done pureeing the rest of the vegetables.
  • FOLD in 2 cups shredded Cache Valley® Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese until incorporated. ADD salt and pepper to taste.
  • SERVE the dish with crumbled bacon, grated cheese, and Cache Valley® Asiago Cheese Croutons.

Asiago Cheese Croutons:

  • PREHEAT oven to 250 degrees
  • In a microwave-safe glass bowl, HEAT together ¼ cup butter, 1 clove minced garlic, ¼ cup olive oil.
  • TOSS together cubed bread, butter-olive oil mix, and shredded Cache Valley® Asiago Cheese.
  • BAKE on a cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for 30-45 minutes until dry and golden, being careful to move around the croutons every 10 minutes to prevent the cheese from burning.
  • REMOVE from the oven and SPRINKLE on smoked paprika at the end while still hot.
  • SERVE with creamed soups or on salads. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week.

Recipe Author: Lydia Martinez

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