To put it politely, this week was bad. And since today is the last day of the week, I sincerely believe that we could use some comfort food. Much the way that we enjoy one last big heavy winter meal in anticipation of the lighter fare of spring – I hope the next time I do a Recipe Sunday it’s after a week of unicorns snuggling with bunnies.
But until then, cue up a Netflix marathon of your favorite movies or television* show, and make a batch of this hug-in-a-bowl soup.
*If by chance you’re having a Parks and Recreation marathon, here’s a cute interview with Amy Poehler talking about Adam Scott’s odd habits. It made me smile.
Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe Soup
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- ½ head of broccoli rabe (approximately 1 ½ cups)
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 tablespoons of flour, divided
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce
- A few dashes of hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups of sharp cheddar cheese
- Black pepper
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli rabe and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon and drop into a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking. Drain.
While the broccoli rabe is cooking, melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and carrot. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, stirring frequently. Add 4 tablespoons of the flour and stir well for 1 minute. Add the red pepper and stir frequently for 1 minute. Add the broth, worcestershire, hot sauce and most of the broccoli rabe. (Reserve some for garnish if you’d like, or you can add all of it.) Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat.
Carefully pour the soup by the ladle-full into a blender. Place a hand towel over the top of the blender to keep it from splattering, and process until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pan and turn the heat on to medium. Toss the cheese with the remaining tablespoon of flour in a bowl and add it by the handful to the soup, whisking in until it’s melted. Repeat with each handful, until the cheese is fully incorporated into the soup. Add black pepper to taste.
(Photos by Launie K.)
