Soups are probably my favorite things to make because the possibilities are endless. You can have a specific soup in mind, or you can see what you have in the fridge and start building a recipe from there. I knew I wanted to make a broccoli soup because I had some in the fridge that I needed to use. I also had a few other veggies left over from my Imperfect Foods box that needed to be used, so I incorporated them into this soup.

Building a soup recipe isn’t hard. Choose which ingredient you want to be the main focus, whether it’s beef for a beef stew or broccoli like this soup, pick your soup stock, and then add in additional veggies and/or spices to suit your taste. I used Better than Bouillon roasted chicken base because I really like the flavor of this stock base, but the recipe will be just as good if you use homemade chicken stock/bone broth or store-bought chicken stock. I will say that I typically don’t add additional salt or pepper to a soup when I use the Better than Bouillon base because I think it contains enough salt and spice on it’s own. Just be sure to taste your soup before you automatically add extra salt if you choose to use this base.

Broccoli soup is delicious using just cheddar cheese, but I had a block of Gruyere that I needed to use, and it really added an extra layer of flavor. I plan to use this cheese again in the future whenever I make broccoli soup, but if you don’t care for it or don’t have any, just use more cheddar.

Two Cheese Broccoli Soup

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 potato, peeled and diced

1-2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken stock (I used Better than Bouillon roasted chicken base)

1 head of broccoli (use only the florets and save any stems for a later recipe)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup heavy cream (can use whole milk if you prefer)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, melt butter. Add diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent garlic from burning. Add chicken stock, potato, and carrots. Cook until veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes (will depend how finely diced the veggies are). Add broccoli florets, heavy cream, and shredded cheeses. Stir over low-to-medium heat to melt cheeses and heat the broccoli.

Yield: About 4 bowls

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