When I made broccoli “noodles” for carbonara, I ended up with extra. So I asked myself, “What is my favorite broccoli recipe?” Answer: broccoli cheese soup! I adore that soup, and I adore noodles in soup, so I combined the two in this recipe. The noodles are made from the broccoli stem, which is just as nutrient-rich as the florets. In fact, one stem contains more vitamin C than an orange. And broccoli stems are low in calories: one stem contains 32 calories, compared to 180 calories in the equivalent amount of wheat-based pasta noodles. Plus, veggie noodles have more flavor than wheat-based noodles—and they agree with my belly!
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli with stem
- 2 slices bacon, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup diced onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, or cloves from ½ head roasted garlic
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) cream cheese
- 3 cups chicken or beef bone broth, store-bought or homemade
- 1½ cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Special Equipment: Spiral slicer
How to Make It
- Slice the broccoli florets off the stem, leaving as much of the stem intact as possible. Reserve the florets for another recipe. Trim the bottom end of the broccoli stem so that it is evenly flat.
- Using a spiral slicer, cut the broccoli stem into noodles.
- In a stockpot over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Add the butter, broccoli “noodles,” onions, and garlic and cook until the noodles have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the noodles and onions from the pot and set aside.
- Add the cream cheese to the pot and whisk until smooth, with no clumps of cream cheese remaining.
- Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well to melt the cheese. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, remove from the heat and puree in a blender, in two batches if needed (if you overfill the blender jar, it will not puree properly).
- Pour the pureed soup into bowls and add the reserved noodles and onions. Sprinkle with the bacon pieces and serve.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 232 kcal Calories from Fat: 172.8 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 19.2 g 55% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
carbohydrates 2.4 g 2% |
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g 2% |
Protein 8.7 g 17% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |