broccoli beer cheddar soup with spicy sausage breadcrumbs.
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did u know: i’m famously not a soup person at all.
it takes a lot of fun add-ins and toppings and whatnot for me to want a soup. like pozole, i’m crazy about that stuff because while it is soup, it is chocked full of texture and flavor, and that’s what it’s all about.
a brothy liquid-only soup, though? 96% of the time, you can count me out. unless its a particularly good creamy tomato for a crunchy ass grilled cheese sammich.
topping city!
this will go on top of your soup and add some nice crunch, a little protein, as well as salty num nums and bright lemon zest to round it out.
also what a clever way to disguise large amounts of broccoli.
even tho broccoli, also famously, does not smell great when cooked, this soup as a whole unit smells cozy and scrumptious.
shout out to my beautiful new green staub dutch oven that i got the most screaming deal i’ve ever experienced on this recent black friday. $82, down from $450….can you even believe.
i have used it so many times already! and i stare at it fondly because it is forced to live on the stove top always.
i prepared myself for what i thought would be a WiLd cabin fever snow storm extravaganza here in seattle this week. turns out to be the saddest dusting of snow ever, but still so pretty to look out at.
snow or no snow, i cannot be stopped in my winter obsession with cooking lately. and i’m loving it. hibernation is real.
Broccoli Beer Cheddar Soup with Spicy Sausage Breadcrumbs
Serves 4-6
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Spicy Sausage Breadcrumb Topping:
4 slices toasted sourdough or desired bread, pulsed into breadcrumbs in food processor or blender
3 - 4 oz. hot ground sausage
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. red chili flakes
2 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
1 TB lemon zest
kosher salt & fresh black pepper, to taste
Broccoli Beer Cheddar Soup:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic glove, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (2% milk fat or higher)
3/4 cup beer (something lighter with low alcohol - a lager or pale ale)
1 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (or sub 1 1/4 cup of water)
3 large sage leaves
3-4 cups of broccoli florets, stalks included, plus extra florets for topping.
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 TB apple cider vinegar (optional)
kosher salt & fresh black pepper, to taste
fresh lemon zest
Instructions-
To make the topping, break up the hot sausage in a large pan over medium heat. Flatten the meat with the back of a wooden spoon to help break down into crumbles for 3-5 minutes until slightly browned. Add the breadcrumbs, red chili flakes, thyme leaves, a big pinch of salt and some black pepper. Continue to break mixture up into bits to brown everything together. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the mixture seems a little dry.
Grate parmesan cheese over the top, and toss to melt. Remove pan from heat and zest a lemon over top, tossing to combine. Set aside.
[*Ideally, you could make the topping while the broccoli is simmering and tenderizing in your soup.]
To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour and a pinch of salt, stir everything and continue to brown the onion mixture for a couple minutes. Add the beer, broth (or water) and milk and gently stir as everything comes to a simmer. Add the sage leaves into the hot liquid.
Add the broccoli stems and florets to the pot, stirring occasionally and allowing the broccoli to tenderize for about 10-15 minutes. [*This would be a good time to make the breadcrumb topping!]
Remove pot from heat and let the liquid cool slightly.
Carefully pour liquid into a blender (or just use an immersion blender in your pot) and pulse until broccoli and liquid mixture is smooth. Return to the pot on the stove on low heat.
Give the soup a taste and add heavy pinches of salt to taste. If it needs a bit of a punch-up, add 1 TB of apple cider vinegar on low heat and stir.
Gradually add the grated cheddar cheese and stir between additions to melt. Continue to taste the soup and add salt & freshly cracked black pepper as needed, but not too much since you’ll be adding the salty topping still. As soon as you think you need to add one more pinch of salt at the end, zest a bit of lemon into the soup for a nice bit of brightness and flavor.
Scoop the soup into bowls, and top with additional broccoli florets, grated cheddar, and the spicy sausage breadcrumb topping.
Serve immediately! Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat as needed. For best results, enjoy the soup and the breadcrumb topping within 2-3 days.
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