Broccoli gouda soup
In autumn, when the vegetables are still crispy and fresh, soup hits the menu, big time. Broccoli and cheese soup is a long-time favorite that I don’t indulge in very often. It’s the guilt of the cheese, don’t you know. Healthy soup it isn’t — despite its high vegetable content — so I save it for special occasions.
Such as when the veggies in my garden are so fresh and flavorful that they deserve extra special treatment. (Or when I need the comfort of creamy cheese sauce, whichever moment applies.)
I was so happy with my broccoli harvest this fall. My plants quickly formed perfect little broccoli heads, and grew in green perfection, tolerating cold, frost, and some rather dry conditions, even as the rest of the garden was slowly throwing in the towel.
Carrots still grow in abundance — even now, in December — and a quick trip out to the garden (plus onions from storage, and celery preserved in the freezer), means a very tasty mirepoix for whatever soup I’ve planned for dinner.
I often use cheddar cheese in my broccoli and cheese soup, but I found a lovely gouda at the Murray’s Cheese Shop housed within my Kroger. Gouda with fresh-from-the-garden broccoli? Yes, please.
Wanting to preserve the flavor of the gouda and not drown it in dairy, I made a veloute instead of a bechamel, which simply substitutes broth for dairy in the sauce. The result is lighter, savorier — the perfect addition to broccoli and gouda soup.
Karen xo
Hello, and welcome to SoupAddict, my little corner of the foodie world on the Interwebs. I'm Karen, and it's true, I'm addicted to soup. The seasons guide my cooking and eating, and when I'm not behind the stove — or the keyboard: I'm a writer by trade — you can find me in my vegetable garden. 
This is why I love food blogs and yours specifically. I learn so much, like how to make a veloute and then use it! The soup looks delicious and I’d never have thought of Gouda. Yum. Your photos are delicious too!
I always get such produce envy when I come over here.
Broccoli. Gouda. Veloute. Sigh.
Cher recently blogged about: Now and Then (FFwD: Creamy Cauliflower Soup sans Cream)
Woow I really envy you for your garden
I love gardening. Actually I was looking for a new way to introduce broccoli to my family. Thanks for the recipe.
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Yummy! I made this soup for dinner tonight, although I had to substitute a few ingredients (barley for orzo, brie for fontina). It was delicious and hit the spot! You bet I will try this soup again. Thanks for the recipe!
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