Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Method

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1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion and carrot 8 minutes until softened, then the garlic for 1 minute.

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2. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells biscuity rather than raw.

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3. Pour in the stock a third at a time, whisking each addition completely smooth before adding the next, then the milk and cream.

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4. Add the broccoli stalks and simmer 10 minutes, then the florets and simmer 8 minutes more until everything is tender.

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5. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper.

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6. Blend about half the soup — either with a stick blender used in short bursts, or by scooping half into a jug blender and returning it. Leave the rest in pieces.

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7. Take the pan off the heat completely and wait 2 minutes.

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8. Add the Cheddar in four handfuls, stirring each one until fully melted before the next. Taste and adjust the salt.

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Chef’s Tips

• Off the heat, and give it those two minutes. This is the entire difference between velvet and grit.
• If it does go grainy, a stick blender will usually rescue it.
• Do not let it boil when reheating, for the same reason.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A crusty roll or a bread bowl
• A sharp green salad
• Cold cider

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat, never boiling. It does not freeze well — the cheese splits.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.