Broccoli, Potato and Cheddar Soup

Well, the broccoli and cheddar soup was the winner tonight.  I found this recipe from For the Love of Cooking and decided that it would be perfect for our dinner on this cold and dreary night.  I made quite a few changes to the recipe.  I added some cut up red potatoes with the skins to make it a little heartier.  I  also tasted the soup and it still needed some more flavor.  Not sure what to add, I looked around the kitchen and saw the magic ingredient for my soup.....crushed red pepper.  Last night, we had Dominos pizza and I had some of those little packets of crushed red pepper left over.  I added two of these packets to my soup and it was perfect!  The flavor was incredible now!

 Next, in order to cut some of the calories and fat from the recipe I decided to take a huge risk.  I read somewhere that you can add nondairy creamer to soup to make it creamy so I took the plunge.  I was terrified to say the least that I would completely mess up my pot of soup that I had going.  The recipe calls for 3 cups of 2% milk, so I substitued one cup of milk with nondairy creamer.  I kept waiting for my soup to curdle or turn into a lumpy, disgusting mess, but it never happened.  It actually worked and I have to say, this was one of the most delicious soups that I have ever made or tasted for that matter. 

***update***  So, I told my husband about the substitution of nondairy creamer for the milk.  He asked me what nondairy creamer actually was if it is "nondairy".  I wasn't really sure, so I googled it and found out that I won't be cooking with it, or using it, anymore.  It listed all sorts of ingredients and chemicals that didn't sound that appetizing.  I have been trying to cook and eat healthier (before the holidays anyway) and eat more natural and unprocessed foods, so this nondairy creamer goes against all of that. 

So back to the fattening milk.....  Maybe I will try the 1%, soy or rice milk.  I bought some soy milk and then later found out that males should not consume soy because of all the female hormones it contained.  What to do now???

Printable Recipe

• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 4-5 cups of broccoli florets
• 4 red large red potatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• green onions and grated cheddar cheese for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 3 minutes. Add flour, stir and cook for a few minutes. Slowly add stock and milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Smash some of the potatoes with a potato masher. Add broccoli and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in cheese. Garnish with green onions and cheese.