(Natasha sighs)

- (chuckles) Hey everybody,

it's Natasha of natashaskitchen.com

and I have such a treat for you.

I'm gonna show you how we make broccoli cheese soup.

This is creamy, cheesy, loaded with fresh broccoli

and oh so delicious.

And stay tuned for the creative way

we serve this at the end.

It is my son's favorite.

Let's get started.

(bell dings)

This takes just 30 minutes to make,

so prep all of your ingredients,

so they're ready when you need them.

Chop four cups of small broccoli florets

and you can also use the stems if you want,

just peel and dice them into bite sized pieces.

Peel three medium carrots and slice them into thin rings.

If you haven't already, make sure to watch our video

on how to sharpen a knife and learn basic knife skills.

You'll need one cup of finely diced onion,

so slice one medium onion.

We're just using a regular yellow onion,

but you can use a white onion or a sweet onion.

You've probably noticed, I used my food scraper

a ton in my prep work.

I love this tool and I will link to it in the notes.

And last but not least,

we're gonna get the cheese out of the refrigerator.

You'll need 2/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

and two cups or four ounces

of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

This box grater gets used a ton in my kitchen

and I will link to this as well.

In a five and a half quart dutch oven or soup pot,

over medium heat melt two tablespoons of butter

and we always use unsalted butter in all of our cooking

so we can control the salt.

Add the finely diced onion and sliced carrots

and saute until the onion has softened

or about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

(metal clanking)

Next, add four cups of low sodium chicken broth.

We do have a recipe for homemade chicken broth

which I will link in the notes.

Season with one teaspoon of garlic powder,

one teaspoon of sea salt, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper

and a quarter teaspoon of dried thyme.

Bring that to a boil over medium heat.

Add the broccoli, bring it back to a simmer

then partially cover and continue cooking

until the broccoli is softened.

This takes about 10 to 12 minutes,

depending on the thickness of the broccoli.

It's a great time for a coffee break

and if you want a closer look at our coffee station

or the rest of our kitchen,

check out our kitchen video tour.

Once the broccoli is at your desired done-ness,

remove and set aside two cups of vegetables.

You'll need to blend the remaining soup in the pot.

You can use an immersion blender

and blend it right inside the pot,

or transfer it in batches to a blender or food processor.

Blend it until it's completely smooth

or your desired consistency.

Now to thicken the soup,

in a small bowl combine half a cup

of heavy whipping cream with three tablespoons

of all purpose flour and whisk vigorously until smooth

and no longer lumpy.

Then blend in one teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

The mixture will be thick like a frosting.

Bring the blended soup back to a boil,

then whisk in the cream and flour mixture,

whisking for about three to four minutes

or until it's completely smooth and thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in

your Parmesan cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.

Continue stirring until the cheese

is dissolved into the soup.

We take it off the heat before blending in the soup

because if the mixture gets too hot or starts to boil,

the cheese may clump together

and won't incorporate properly.

Lastly, stir in the cooked vegetables

that we set aside earlier and season the soup

to taste with salt and pepper.

The soup is ready to be served.

You can transfer it into bowls

and serve with toast or crackers,

but our favorite way to serve is in a bread bowl.

To make individual bread bowls,

you'll need six to seven inch in diameter

sourdough round loaves, also called boules.

Using a serrated knife, cut off the tops.

Scoop out the centers with a spoon

to make room for the soup

and don't get rid of those centers.

They are delicious and I love to serve them with the soup.

Cut one bread bowl for each serving,

then broil in the center of your oven

for two to three minutes,

keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn.

Ooh!

I love recreating restaurant favorites at home.

And I am excited because I'm hungry.

So let's do this taste test.

Okay, here we go.

Ooh, kinda hot.

Oh and toasting the breads like this

makes it taste like it just came out of a bakery

'cause it crisps the outside and keeps the center soft.

It is so good.

It tastes super fresh.

Okay.

Now, I'm just gonna ladle a generous amount of the soup

right into the bread bowl.

It's so fun. (laughs)

I serve it for this like my son.

He gets excited 'cause it's just like in the restaurant.

Yum yum.

Creamy and cheesy.

All right.

And I love to serve this while it's still piping hot,

because once you add a little bit

of extra cheddar cheese over the top,

it melts onto the soup then you get this

lovely little cheese pull.

So that's what's gonna happen right now.

Let's give it a second.

Okay, I'm just gonna do this.

I'm so hungry. (laughs)

Here we go.

Oh, this is so creamy.

Yum and loaded with broccoli and veggies.

I love that it's just half a cup of cream in this.

But the texture is amazing.

Mm.

I love that this is staring back at me. (laughs)

Mm.

Mm.

Wow.

That is a 10.

Seriously, comfort in a bowl

and the ultimate broccoli cheese soup.

I think what really makes this is not just

adding the cheddar cheese,

but also that Parmesan which just adds an extra layer of

cheesy goodness to this soup.

Wow, (laughs) if you love broccoli cheese soup,

you have to have to try this

and that little bit of Dijon mustard in there,

and a little bit goes a long way,

but it really amps up all the flavors

and brings this together and remember I said

to keep the inside of the bread bowl for dipping?

Ah, this is just the best way

to soak up that creamy goodness.

Dunk it right in.

Mm.

And these sourdough bread bowls, they're so fun.

They're just like out of the restaurant.

This is my son's favorite way to eat this.

Feels like eating out and then also,

because we toasted the bread bowl it literally tastes

and the texture is just like something out of a bakery.

So delicious.

Look at that.

Listen to the crunch.

(bread crunches)

Make this soup.

You're gonna feel like you're winning at life.

(laughs) I'm gonna go enjoy this.

I hope you guys enjoyed this episode

and we'll see you in our next video.