Broccoli Cheddar Soup

With Harvesting Good

Pick up a 1lb or 3lb bag of frozen broccoli during your next checkout! Harvesting Good, a for-profit public benefit corporation under Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, ensures 100% of net profits go directly to supporting food banks across the Northeast. Discover more about Harvesting Good’s mission here!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter (Crooked Face Creamery)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (Melody Ridge)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (All in Thyme Farm)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk (Quill’s End Farm)
• 2 cups broth (Timber Frame Farm)
• 3 cups broccoli florets (Harvesting Good)
• 1 large carrot, julienned or finely chopped (Rainbow Farm)
• ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 heaping cups (Springdale Farm)
• Croutons, for serving, optional (Made with Tinder Hearth Bread)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, carrot, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
3. Gradually add the cheese, stirring after each addition, until all the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season to taste.
4. (Optional) Serve with homemade croutons using Tinder Hearth Bread — Heat at 350 degrees, cut bread into 1/2″ cubes, bake for 12 min.