Broccoli Cheese Soup for Grownups

Gruyere cheese and a healthy splash of wine turns this into a sophisticated soup...

I'm not a big fan of cheddar cheese, so I like to substitute it whenever possible for the sharper taste of my favorite Gruyere cheese. 

What goes better with cheese, than wine? I found this combination elevates the broccoli cheese soup to a perfect weeknight light dinner for grownups. Enjoy with a glass of the same wine you use in the soup. 

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups half n half

2 cups milk

1 lb broccoli florets

2 cups grated gruyere cheese

1/4 cup white (or red) wine

2 garlic cloves minced

grated nutmeg, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

four bread 'bowls' 

Directions:

1. Gently sauté onion in butter for 2-3 minutes until tender. Sprinkle in flour and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until flour is cooked.

2. Add milk and half n half, stir for one minute. Add broccoli florets, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne. Cover and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes until broccoli is tender.

3. While soup is simmering, cut the tops off of the bread bowl, scoop most of the bread out of the interior, so that you have an 'empty' bowl to hold the soup.

3. Back to your soup: Stir in wine and gruyere cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings to your personal taste. Let wine and cheese meld with the milk and broccoli. 

4. Your choice if you like your broccoli incorporated into the soup: Use an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor to chop the broccoli to your desired consistency. At this point you can also thin the soup with more milk or wine ;-)

5. Pour the soup into the bread bowl, garnish with grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from ThePioneerWoman.com