I don’t know where you are reading from but winter sure has been harsh thus far here in northern New England. Harsh, like 40 below zero with the windchill a few times in the last week. Today I actually caught myself calling the foretasted 32 degrees a “heat wave.” Besides cranking the heat, I’m all about that bass comfort food on a cold winter’s day. I’m also eating healthier than ever before (watch for an upcoming post about how I’ve lost 110 pounds in just over 9 months – I know that sounds gimicky and spammy but its really true!!). So, those traditional stick to your ribs comfort foods often need some tweaking so they aren’t stick to your bum and thighs foods.
Cue Food Network’s Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup – so much yum in one bowl. I’m sharing the recipe below, courtesy of FoodNetwork.com (as are the images in this post). I’m also going to add a note on how to cut the carbs in this soup in case you care about that sort of thing! And, if Broccoli Cheddar Soup isn’t your thing, scroll down a bit further for two more healthified recipe suggestions! Yeah, baby!
Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup
[ezcol_1third]Ingredients
1 bunch broccoli
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium red-skinned potato, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced[/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]Directions
Separate the stems and the florets from the broccoli. Trim and discard the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel the tough outer layers. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the florets and set aside separately.
Mist a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the broccoli stems, onions and potatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the reserved florets and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and continue to steam until the florets are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the entire contents of the pot with the florets to the soup along with the nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar, Worcestershire and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions.
Cook’s Note: Leftover soup should be reheated in the microwave rather than the stovetop, where the cheese will “break” or separate from the broth.[/ezcol_2third_end]
Note: To make this low carb, omit potatoes and replace the evaporated milk with heavy cream. If you need to thicken a but more add in a little cheese to please! Easy peasy!
Whole-Wheat Pasta with Broccolini and Feta
Get the recipe here!
Oven-Baked Salmon
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