Southwestern Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A robust, chunky soup full of broccoli, sausage, cheese, and green chiles – great for a satisfying dish after a day in the snow

This was dinner last night – a robust, chunky soup full of broccoli, sausage, cheese, and green chiles – great for a satisfying dish on a cold day. It’s easy to make and absolutely infallible.

I used Jimmy Dean pork sausage, which is a mild, flavorful sausage. I think this would also work well with a hotter, spicier sausage. It’s just a matter of preference.

I used canned green chiles, plus I poured in all the chile liquid from the can. Note that adding the chile juice adds a nice, subtle dimension to the flavor but also makes the soup thinner, which I actually preferred.  The 1/4 cup flour results in a fairly thick, filling soup; so if you want to adjust how thick the soup is, you can do this by adjusting the amount of flour, the amount of chile juice, or both. Very easy.

This also keeps well in the fridge, so you might want to make a double batch that people can heat up to serve themselves. Are you looking for a great dish to take to a Super Bowl party? Double this recipe and take it in a slow cooker, perhaps with some disposable cups and spoons. It’s guaranteed to be a hit.

Hope you like this one!

Southwestern Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Anita

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 oz breakfast sausage (1/2 chub)
• 2 tbsp butter
• ⅔ cup chopped onion (~1/2 medium)
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups half & half
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ½ lb broccoli (~ 3 cups) chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 cup sliced or julienned carrots
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (~8 oz)
• 1 cup diced green chiles, mild or medium hot
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage while breaking it up into large crumbles. Scoop out the sausage and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan.
2. Add the butter to the fat; melt it and sautee the onions in it until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook while stirring over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the half & half and chicken stock.
4. Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots and broccoli are tender.
5. Add the nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste. If desired, blend about half the soup for a smoother texture, then pour it back into the main pot of soup.
6. Return to low heat and stir in the cheese, green chiles and sausage; ensure cheese fully melts.
7. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

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