Broccoli Soup

Happy New Year! I’m so excited for 2024 and all the things it will bring. This month I’m excited to share with you a recipe that my kids love. This broccoli cheddar soup with soft pretzel dumplings is satisfying in so many ways. It's creamy, cheesy and has crispy soft pretzels on top. When serving it to my kids I usually puree the soup with an immersion blender before putting the pretzels in, as my kids can be picky when there are big green vegetables involved. I know the ingredient list looks long, but I promise, it comes together pretty quickly.

Soup Ingredients

½ c. butter

2 Heads of broccoli, chopped with stems removed

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

½ c. flour

1c. heavy cream or milk

4c. vegetable or chicken broth

2c. sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. paprika

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Pretzel Ingredients

1 ½ c. warm water

1 tbsp. instant yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. melted butter

1 tbsp. brown sugar

3 ¾ c. - 4 c. flour

Course sea salt

¼ c. baking soda

4c. Hot water

Directions

1. In a large oven-safe soup pot or stove-top Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and add all chopped veggies. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add in flour and cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the heavy cream or milk. Cook until thickened, then add the broth.

2. Bring soup to a boil. Add in the cheese, spices and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Taste, then add more if needed.

3. Turn soup down to low and start on the pretzels.

4. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook combine water, yeast, salt, butter, sugar and 3 cups of flour. Mix for 2-3 minutes. Add ¾ cup of flour and mix until smooth. If dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add another ¼ cup of flour. Mix another 2-3 minutes until dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender.

5. While the dough sits, you can check the soup thickness. If it is too thick, add more milk or water. It will thicken more in the oven.

6. In a bowl, combine baking soda and hot water. I just use the hottest water I can get from the tap.

7. Pour dough out onto a floured surface. Roll into balls. You can do small or large depending on how you want your dumplings. (I did large in the picture) dip the pretzels into the hot water then place directly on the boiling soup. Repeat until you’ve rolled all the dough and placed it in the soup. Try to keep them in a single layer.

8. Place the whole soup pot into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Until the tops of the pretzels are golden brown.