Baby It's Cold Outside

I've been a bad blogger lately...I have been cooking, but many dishes I have already blogged about. And in the case of a couple of dishes, the pictures got somehow lost/erased , and I don't like making posts without pictures. So, I'm back with a very appropriate dish - it definitely feels and looks like winter here in Tennessee - in the 30's and a little snow on the ground. This weather doesn't really faze a Canuck like me, but I thought I'd make some winter weather comforting soup anyways.

I've had this recipe starred in my google reader for a while now, and I wish I had not waited a long to make it - it was delicious. Potatoes, broccoli & cheese are ingredients that go so well together, and I made a few additions to the recipe which I have noted. The soup is thick and creamy, but yet it doesn't have any unnecessary butter or heavy cream. The only thing that would have made this dinner even better would be some great bread for dipping.

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup

Seen on Amber's Delectable Delights; originally from My Recipes.com and Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces I used turkey bacon
7 teaspoons chopped green onions

I added 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4-1/2 each of kosher salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients (this is where I added the above ingredients in italics) in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.

Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Yield - Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (serving size: 1 cup)