It’s been a wild ride of a week in terms of the weather. Friday it was 75 degrees – Saturday it snowed. Currently hanging out on my dresser is a cute little floral dress, right next to a pair of long underwear.
I’m ready for anything!
When the cold snap hit, I decided to make this cheddar broccoli rabe soup. Even with the weather in flux, sooner rather than later it’s going to be hot and soups like this will be as unappealing.
But, on a snowy Saturday in April it was perfect.
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 or vegetable 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 Ketter)