By Angie McGowan
A few days ago when we were at Panera, I was really craving their broccoli cheese soup. I have made the copycat recipe at home before, and it turned out wonderful. But since I have been really trying to cut back on my calories, I didn’t want to make a rich creamy soup. So I decided to make a healthier version. For this soup I really simplified it. I made it rich and creamy by making it a pureed soup. To make it more figure friendly, I halved the amount of cheese used and completely omitted the butter and milk. To make it even more nutritious I added some kale, and for flavor some dried herbs. You can play around with the type and amount of herbs used in this recipe. Feel free to use fresh too, it would be even better.
Broccoli Cheese Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 2 heads of broccoli, chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale
- 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian parsley
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Combine broccoli, kale, chicken or vegetable stock and herbs in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Boil for 20 – 25 minutes, or until broccoli is very tender
- Using a submersion blender or regular blender, puree soup. You may have to add more water to achieve desired thickness of soup.
- Add cheese and heat through until cheese is melted. Serve with crusty bread, salad or sandwiches.
