Low Carb Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I have already posted at least one recipe for Curried Cauliflower Soup, which may be my all-time favorite soup. I bought a head of cauliflower at Aldi yesterday, planning to make some soup this week. But to my great dismay, we have NO coconut cream in our cupboard! DARN!

Change of plans.

When God hands you lemons, you make lemonade. When God hands you zero coconut cream, you improvise. So broccoli cheddar soup it is.

I bought plenty of fresh broccoli at Aldi, too. Our fridge is bursting with cheese of every sort due to my husband's ongoing ketogenic diet. (He eats basically cheese and nuts, as far as I can tell.) So we are well stocked to make this super low carb soup. (Perfect for Atkins or Keto followers.)

I started some bone broth in my crockpot over the weekend. I pulled all the meat off a rotisserie chicken and threw the bones into the pot, covered them with water, and turned it on low for 48 hours. After I scooped out the bones, the broth was ready.

This recipe is excessively minimalist because 1) I am naturally lazy and I tend to brag about it instead of feeling ashamed; and 2) I taught a class this morning and I have to teach again tonight so I am keeping my life simple. If I had all day to cook, I'd probably chop onions and saute them in butter, add some other veggies, herbs, spices, etc. But this soup will taste divine with just these few ingredients and a minimum of work.

NOTE: After I tasted the soup, I thought mushrooms would be a perfect addition. My sweet husband sauteed some shiitake in butter and added them to the soup while I went off to teach. Sublime!

Ingredients:

1 quart bone broth, simmering in crockpot (chicken or beef is fine)
1 bunch of fresh broccoli, chopped (frozen will also work, but defrost first)
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
dash of soy sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teas black pepper

Add all above ingredients to crockpot. Cover with lid and turn to high. Cook 2-3 hours or until veggies are soft. Puree veggies with immersion blender. Add the following to your soup:

4 TB softened cream cheese (or more!)
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese (or more!)
4 oz. mushrooms sauteed in butter (optional)

Blend/stir some more until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover again and heat through. Taste for seasonings. Adjust as needed. Makes at least 4 servings.
ENJOY!