TL/DR – Gruyere Broccoli Soup. This easy weeknight soup is a creamy alternative to traditional broccoli cheese soup with mushrooms, shallots, fresh thyme, garlic and gruyere cheese. –
In my neck of the woods, we have only had one decent snowfall this winter and it’s already mid January. However, it’s still chilly out and in my day job as a teacher, we have been eating outside for two years now on camping chairs as a COVID prevention measure. (Sidenote: we all agree that except for the coldest days, dining al fresco is a terrific way to eat lunch!)
Chilly outside lunches coupled with the existential dread of it all make me want to make more soup! This slightly more sophisticated version of broccoli cheese soup, aside from being delicious and satisfying, also reheats well. And, as if it needed more fanfare, it’s simple to make on the stovetop and it might, (might,) even be acceptable for picky eaters to enjoy.
Start by sautéing thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms in a bit of butter over fairly high heat. Cook these until the moisture has evaporated. Turn down the heat to medium and add chopped shallots and minced garlic to the pan and allow that to cook for about a minute.
Then add a generous amount of extra butter and a couple of tablespoons of minced fresh thyme. Allow the butter to melt fully. Sprinkle flour over the top of the mushroom mixture and stir it well, allowing it to cook for about a minute.
Slowly add in a mixture of milk and vegetable or chicken stock, stirring constantly. Also add broccoli cut into very small pieces. Bring this mixture to a low boil, then simmer it for about 15 minutes. It will thicken and the broccoli will cook. Remove it from the heat and stir in lots of finely shredded gruyere cheese, then season it to taste with salt and pepper. The amount of salt will vary given your choice of regular or low sodium broth and the brand of gruyere that you buy.
Serve it immediately with crusty bread or garlic bread or with soft pretzels and mustard. Also try Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Easy Tomato Soup, Slow Cooker Farro Kielbasa Soup, and Tomato Wild Rice Soup with Turkey Meatballs.
Gruyere Broccoli Soup
Gruyere cheese, fresh thyme, and mushrooms make this easy weeknight soup a tasty alternative to traditional broccoli cheese soup!
Ingredients
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 5T butter, divided
- 1/2 c shallots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 c flour
- 2 c 2 % or whole milk
- 2 c low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 3 c broccoli florets, chopped small
- 2 1/2 c gruyere cheese, finely shredded
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Heat 1 T of the butter in a small stockpot or a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the thinly sliced mushrooms and allow all of their moisture to cook off, stirring occasionally.
- Step 2 Lower the heat to medium and add the shallots and garlic and allow to cook for about a minute, stirring frequently and not allowing the garlic to burn.
- Step 3 Add the remaining 4T butter and the fresh thyme. Stir until the butter melts completely.
- Step 4 Sprinkle the flour over this mixture and stir it constantly until it has cooked into the mixture for about a minute.
- Step 5 Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly and breaking up lumps, followed by the broth and the broccoli. Bring it up to a low boil and then lower it to simmer for about 15 minutes. It will thicken and the broccoli will cook.
- Step 6 Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the gruyere cheese until it is fully melted.
- Step 7 Add kosher salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/4 t salt to begin with to avoid over-salting. Serve the soup immediately with crusty bread or garlic toasts, or cool it completely and refrigerate it if reheating later.
