Every year when the air gets a little crisp, I start craving nostalgic comfort foods. No flavor reimagining needed. This feels like a throwback recipe because it was quite the rage circa 1996, maybe? Emma’s a big fan of anything with classic chicken soup flavor, and actually loves broccoli. I decided to make a homemade version and see if I could up the nutrition value to make it weeknight dinner worthy. The whole family loved it and it made plenty for leftovers and the freezer for last minute easy lunches and dinners.
Chicken, Broccoli, Cheddar & Rice Soup
2 quarts Chicken Stock (homemade is the best… I feel very Barefoot Contessa saying that, but I’ve recently made the transition and it can’t be beat. My method is here.)*
Chicken from preparing Chicken Stock (or about 1/2 pound of roasted chicken meat)**
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, small dice
2 stalks of celery, small dice
6 carrots, small dice
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 cup of rice
1/4 cup of cream
1 cup of cheddar cheese
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
**See notes below for Chicken Stock & Roasted Chicken.
For soup, in a large pot begin by softening onion, celery and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Season with salt as it cooks.
Add butter, melt, then stir in flour, and coat all of the mixture with flour, allowing it to cook. Stir in the chicken stock, mixing it well to incorporate the flour.
Add the broccoli and rice and cook for about 10 minutes until rice is soft. Reduce heat to low simmer and finish with cream and cheese. Season to taste.
*I’ve recently become a convert to Homemade Chicken Stock. It is so, so easy, comforting to make (just gives you the feel-goods) and is so nutritious for your body. Here is my method, which is extremely easy and takes hardly any effort at all. And you will feel very accomplished and resourceful.
**When I make my chicken stock (recipe here), I actually roast the whole chicken first, then I strip the meat off and either make chicken salad or save it for something else (like soup). Then, I put the entire stripped chicken (bones and skin and all) in a pot with water, herbs and vegetables. I simmer it for a couple of hours which produces such flavorful stock. Of course, you can use store-bought stock + a rotisserie chicken, or just roast some chicken breasts on a sheet pan, too. It all works!
I’ve been freezing individual portions of soups for myself to get out for easy lunches and last minute dinners. Paper Freezer Containers >
Classic Salad Recipe with Simple Homemade Vinaigrette >
