Green Apple Clog Blog: Creamy Cheesy BrocTato Soup

I haven't posted a recipe post for awhile, likely due to my intense dislike of cooking, but the soup I made last night was a pretty big hit with Enz so I thought I'd share. I also thought that by keeping track of my ingredient measures and steps, I could exact it the next time Enz asks for it... That's one of Enz's hugest beefs with me, I pretty much just wing everything in the kitchen which means I might toss in something different the next time and he likes it to be exactly the same each time as he remembers the deliciousness; usually, I'm pretty good at sticking to memory.

One day, about a year ago I realized that if I were to die, or if Enz ever decides to leave me... he wouldn't have a clue of how to even begin making his favourite foods so I started thinking it would be a good idea to start making how-to recipes for him in case he ever needs them... hence the recipe additions to my blog, although... I don't think he reads my blog so I'll have to let him know that's where the recipes will be. Even though neither of us are 'foodies' Enz does have his absolute favourites that he always asks me to make and this way, if ever it comes to it, he'll be able to make them himself. Because he loved this soup so much, I figured I better document it before I forget... So, if you feel like giving a new soup a try, this one is super simple, super quick (if you cut out the broth-making step and just use ready made) and super heartily creamy. We were heading straight out to work on installing lights at our camp after Enz finished work so we just took a thermos of this soup with some sandwiches for an easy yet filling campy style dinner. If you decide to give it a try, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

*I will also add a quick how-to incase, like me, you are without ready made broth in your pantry below.*

Creamy Cheesy BrocTato Soup (recipe makes 6 cups)

Soup Ingredients:

4           cups    Chicken Broth
                     Salt
                     Pepper
2           cups    Red Potatoes (peeled, roughly chopped)
2           cups    Broccoli (pieces)
1 1/3     cups   Carnation Milk
1/3        cup     Old Cheddar Cheese


Directions:

Step one:

In a saucepan, start heating the chicken broth and season (to taste) with salt and pepper. Bring to boil over med-high heat.

I had to make the broth from scratch so that's why it looks a little messy already...

Step two:

Add potatoes to pot and cook for 10 minutes.

I forgot to take a picture of the prepped potatoes so these are just a few of the leftovers
in a cereal bowl just to show how I chopped them... kind'a homefries-ish sized.

Step three:

Add broccoli to pot and cook another 10 minutes or until soft when pierced with fork.

For the broccoli, I just used the florets but you can also use the stalks if you wish;
my boys LOVE broccoli stalks so I always peel them for them as a snack.

Broth, potatoes and broccoli... becoming one in the simmer.....

Step four:

Remove pot from heat and blend with immersion blender... If you don't have an immersion blender you could just let it cool a few minutes and use a regular blender or you could even just mash it with a handheld masher and follow up with a whisk, whatever! I just like the immersion blender because I'm too lazy to wash all the parts of a blender...

Blendinnnnnnnnnng......

Feel free to blend as much or as little as you like... I blended right to
pretty well smooth because it was going into a thremos which
just makes for an easier swish'n'pour.

Step five:

Return pot to a med-LOW heat and pour in the Carnation... (And it doesn't have to be Carnation, you can use whatever milk or cream you like; I am just trying to use this 2% Carnation up because Enz forgot to make sure he was buying full-fat Carnation for my cereal and instead of the hassle of returning, I'm just using it other ways, soup seemed like an easy fit.)

You don't have to actually measure... I only estimated what I put in because
I poured straight from the can so I wouldn't have to wash a measuring cup in respect
of my laziness. Just add in enough to make it as creamy as you want it.

Step six:

Bring the soup back up to steaming hot (but not boiling), stirring often then slowly add in the cheese while stirring to melt and incorporate. Give it a little try to see if you might need to add a little more salt and pepper and it's ready to serve!

Same as with the milk... just add enough to your own taste. I just add slices because
I'm to lazy to grate the cheese and as you probably already guessed,
I also don't want to have to wash the grater.

Stir to steaming but not boiling again and this soup is ready!!!

And that's all there is to it, an easy, cheesy, comforting soup!

All thermosed up and we are deliciously good to go!

As promised... here is a simple broth how-to which I had to because I didn't have broth or even boullion cubes on hand; I really need to break down and go for groceries - which I despise even more than cooking! ;)

Chicken Broth:

Ingredients:

1      carcass    Roaster Chicken
1      large       Onion (peeled and halved)
2      large       Carrots (peeld and logged)
3      stalks   Celery (washed and canoed)
7      cups      Water (or enough to cover all above comfortably)
1      tsp          Salt
1/4   tsp           Pepper

I always have 'soup bones' bag-sealed in the freezer for
easy soup making when the time arises.

Step one:

In a large pot cover chicken bones, onion, carrots and celery with water then stir in salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Individual ingredients immering to a robust, brotherly brothiness!

Step two:

Once boiling, turn burner to medium heat and simmer for about 2 hours to cook down.

*After the first hour it'll start to taste like broth, give it a try for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed for taste... the more flavour your broth has, the better the end soup will be.*

Step three:

Once the broth has cooked down to be a full, robust chickeny goodness broth, turn the heat off and remove the bones and vegetables using a slotted spoon/strainer to a seperate bowl to cool and strain the broth into a medium sized pot.

Orrrrr...

*Optional* - Don't give up on the vegetables just yet. I actually like to move the soft-cooked Carrots, celery and onion to a strainer over a saucepan and squish the pulp out into the pot before removing the bones only to a seperate bowl. But if you want a clear broth, just ditch this step and strain the clear broth directly into a medium saucepan...

Squishin' to pulped..

It gets a little messy and splashy as the pulp drops off the strainer but it's worth it!

Add in the rest of the strained broth and it's good to go!

Just as an extra... Dealing with the strained carcass isn't so fun but I don't like to waste anything I don't have to. I carefully pick through to pull out any good pieces of chicken and if I was making a chicken noodle soup or a chicken-corn chowder, these pieces would be added back in to the finishing but since I don't really need them in this soup, my boys LOVED the extra little treat sprinkled over their dinner!