Ingredients
Soup
2 large carrots
1 yellow onion
2 sticks of celery
1 head cauliflower
1 head broccoli
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
4 tsp of bullion powder or paste or 2 cubes (chicken or veg)
3 tbsp butter
5 cups water
Cheese Sauce
6 tbsp butter
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp pepper (or to taste)
1 quart heavy whipping cream
Directions
Soup
1. Chop the onion, carrots, and celery as fine or rough as you prefer. I like little pieces, so I used a processor and pulsed everything.
2. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a large pot with the 3 tablespoons of butter.
3. While that is cooking, chop the broccoli and cauliflower, as fine or rough as you’d like it.
4. Once the onions in the pot become translucent, add the broccoli, cauliflower, water, oregano, and bullion.
5. Bring the pot to a boil, then to a low simmer for about 15 minutes, depending on how tender you want the broccoli/cauliflower, and how fine you chopped it. I shoot for 10-12 minutes of simmering time with how I prefer: semi-finely chopped but al dente.
Cheese Sauce
6. In a separate pot, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter, and toss in the salt and pepper.
7. Once the butter melts, stir in the cream roughly one cup at a time.
8. Once all the cream is added, bring it all to a boil for about 2 minutes, then simmer it.
9. Stir in the cheese a little at time, then simmer until it’s reduced to how you prefer.
Finis
10. Add the cheese sauce to the main soup pot and mix.
11. Before sticking it in the fridge, I like to give whatever is left a good stir, assuming it’s still mostly warm. I like to make sure all of the fat is more or less homogenous in soup so that when it cools, the fat crust is even, like the ice on a quiet winter pond. Don’t try skating on it, though.
I stole this from a coworker and made it paleo and added some things, although the paleo-breaking ingredient was the flour added to the cheese sauce. I tried substituting coconut flour for white and I didn’t notice a difference from the no-flour option I have here.
This is great on a cold fall or winter day, instead of the usual chili option that folks like to cook. Nothing against chili in my book, but this soup has a whole different appeal.