How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup Even Better For Kids
Some ideas are just so obvious that it almost feels ridiculous to suggest it, let alone devise a recipe for it–say, broccoli cheese soup. Your toddler loves soup; he/she loves cheese. Broccoli…is something he/she may tolerate. Certainly in soup, with cheese. Just go with it.
Now, in restaurant or box form, broccoli cheese soup can be rather turgid, more texture than taste. We’ve fixed that for you and your child, amping up the flavor (thanks, mustard!) and doubling the vegetables (thanks cauliflower!). Great on its own as a light lunch, or paired with a favorite sandwich for a hearty lunch after an energetic morning of play, this soup doesn’t just eat like a meal; it makes for a mighty fine one for dad and kiddo to share.
(Pro tip: put your leftover soup to work on this pasta dish!)
- 4 oz Broccoli Florets (equivalent to one broccoli crown)
- 4 oz Cauliflower Florets (more like 1/3rd of a cauliflower head)
- 4 Baby Carrots
- 1 small Onion
- minced Garlic
- Herbs of your choosing
- 2 cups 2.5 Chicken Broth (plus an additional small amount; see instructions)
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- Mustard (Dijon is best, but the regular yellow stuff is just fine, too)
- 1 slice Bread (a dinner roll or equivalent will work just as well)
- 6 oz shredded Cheese (cheddar being the obvious choice here but nearly anything that melts well will do)
- Lemon Juice
- Cut off any long stems or stalks from the broccoli and cauliflower heads/pieces; halve any large florets. Dice onion.
- Steam cauliflower pieces and baby carrots until soft, roughly 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat a small pool of oil to Medium in a large pot or dutch oven. Once hot, toss in onion pieces and cook until soft and translucent, roughly five minutes. Add in a heaping spoonful of minced garlic and some shakes of the dried herbs you are using and cook for roughly a minute, stirring a few times to ensure nothing sticks to the pan bottom.
- While garlic cooks, blend the cornstarch and a half tablespoon of your broth in a small bowl.
- Pour cornstarch-broth mixture and the rest of the broth into the pot and stir; turn up heat to bring the pot to a boil.
- Add in broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots and cook until broccoli is soft, roughly 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a blender, add the heavy cream, the bread slice or roll, and two squirts (or one big spoonful) of your mustard; then add in most of the florets from the soup pot and a few spoonfuls of the broth. Blend until thick and smooth. (Note: if too thick, add more broth and blend again; if too thin, add a bit more cream or bread.)
- Pour the contents of the blender into the soup pot and stir. Return heat to Medium.
- Add in cheese a handful at a time, stirring fully and allowing 30-60 seconds for it to melt before adding the next handful; continue until all of the cheese is utilized.
- Taste the soup to determine if additional salt or seasoning are needed. (Pro tip: A bit of black pepper to the soup and a big squeeze or two of lemon juice will really help balance the flavors.)
Given how rich and creamy the soup is, don’t hesitate to put one of the non-blended broccoli florets into the soup–even the veggie phobic will hardly notice (or taste) it. We like to throw in a few goldfish and have our son go “fishing” for things inside the bowl– turns mealtime into a game. If your child prefers a thinner soup, add a bit of chicken broth to the bowl and mix.
Cheddar is a good default but not necessary; frankly, feta is my go-to for the added salt and tang. But if your child is familiar with and/or loves broccoli-cheddar soup, or just is tied to orange cheese, lean on the cheddar for this one. Chicken or hunks of sausage are easy add-ons for more protein.