Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Cheese Crisps

• 100 g shredded cheddar⇄

1. 1.Heat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. 2.Pile the cheddar in 8 small heaps, spaced well apart because they spread.
3. 3.Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until fully melted, lacy, and golden at the edges.
4. 4.They will look soft and bubbly when they come out but crisp up as they cool on the parchment for 10 minutes.
5. 5.Do not underbake; pale crisps stay chewy instead of snappy.

💡 These are the keto answer to croutons; make extra because they vanish before dinner.

• 100 g yellow onion⇄
• 2 whole garlic cloves⇄
• 3 tbsp butter⇄

1. 1.Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
2. 2.Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft, translucent and sweet-smelling but not browned.
3. 3.Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4.This gentle butter base is the flavor foundation of the soup; rushed, browned onions turn the whole pot bitter.

💡 A pinch of salt on the onions helps them soften faster without coloring.

• 700 g broccoli (florets and peeled stems)⇄
• 750 ml chicken or vegetable stock⇄

1. 1.Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the peeled stems; they carry as much flavor and should go in too.
2. 2.Add broccoli and stock to the pot, bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer with the lid ajar.
3. 3.Cook 10 to 12 minutes, until a knife slides through the thickest stem with no resistance.
4. 4.Fully tender broccoli blends silky; undercooked broccoli blends grainy.

💡 Keep the simmer gentle; a rolling boil dulls the green color and the fresh flavor.

• 250 ml heavy cream⇄

1. 1.Pour in the cream and blend the soup until completely smooth, either with an immersion blender directly in the pot or carefully in batches in a countertop blender.
2. 2.Hold the immersion blender at an angle and move it slowly through the pot for a full minute; you want a velvety texture with no visible broccoli bits.
3. 3.If it seems too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water or stock.

💡 For texture contrast, reserve a cup of small florets before blending and stir them back in.

• 250 g shredded sharp cheddar⇄
• 1 tsp salt⇄
• 0.5 tsp black pepper⇄
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg⇄

1. 1.Take the pot off the heat and let it stop bubbling.
2. 2.Add the cheddar in three handfuls, stirring until each melts completely before adding the next.
3. 3.Off-heat melting keeps the cheese smooth; boiling after the cheese goes in makes it greasy and grainy.
4. 4.Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, taste, and adjust.
5. 5.The soup should coat a spoon thickly.

💡 Sharp cheddar carries the flavor further than mild, so you need less of it for the same punch.