Winter Garden Recipes: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 

Normally garden recipes shared focus on summer crops.  Falls focus is on root crop recipes .  Winter is usually recipes from pantry goods and foods you preserved over the season.  However, if you are fortune enough to own a good greenhouse you have fresh garden produce available through winter and early spring before harvests outside begin.  So I thought I would share recipes from my greenhouse harvests that work perfectly for winter.  The first is Broccoli Cheddar Soup. 

 Broccoli does well in a greenhouse.  It also does well outside if you have a mild winter.  Broccoli that ripens in the cold is sweeter and much better tasting than summer grown broccoli.  It is a cool season crop for a reason.  My first harvest of broccoli from the greenhouse was in late December. I also have carrots in the greenhouse which are used in this recipe.  Soup seemed the perfect option for this harvest.

Growing Broccoli

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

4 Tbs butter

1 med yellow onion chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp of pepper

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups vegetable broth

3 cups chopped broccoli florets

1 large carrot finely chopped or shredded

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 cups mild cheddar

1/4 cup sharp cheddar

Directions:

-Melt butter in a dutch oven

-Add onion, salt, and pepper cook until softened then add garlic and cook another minute

-Sprinkle with flour and whisk continuously until flour turns golden.  

-Slowly pour in milk whisking as you pour

- After it thickens add broth, broccoli, carrots and mustard.

- Simmer until broccoli is tender

-Add shredded cheese and stir until melted and creamy.

Serve with a homemade crusty artisan bread

Look for more winter harvest recipes!

I used some freeze dried shredded carrots from my pantry.