Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My husband did it to me again!

He knows that I'm a do with what I've got kind of cook who often makes soup without a recipe. For the second day in a row, he's shared a photo of his lunch on Facebook. This time he promised I'd write out the recipe and share it here. So, here it is. I didn't measure when I made this, so my measurements are approximate. Please adjust for what you have on hand or your personal taste.

6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled, reserve grease
1 lb fresh broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 T cornstarch
3 handfuls of shredded cheddar (2 cups?)
salt and pepper to taste

This makes about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts. It fed four of us with no leftovers. I used a 3 quart saucepan to make it.

• Fry 6 slices of bacon. Cool and crumble. Set aside. 
• Trim 1 lb. fresh broccoli. I peel the stems and chop the softer inner core. I cut the florets into bite sized pieces.
• Chop one onion.
• Stir-fry the broccoli and onion a bit in the bacon grease. You want the broccoli to be just tender not fully cooked.
• Remove veggies from pot. 
• You can add a little hot water to deglaze the pan if needed. Remove and reserve excess grease before you do. You can add it back before the next step.
• Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with about half a cup of cold milk until smooth. 
• Add the cornstarch mix to the pan drippings. Add a bit of butter if needed. 
• Stir constantly as you add milk to make a white sauce the consistency that you like for cream soups. This is how I do it when I don't have cream.
• Return veggies and crumbled bacon to pot and stir.
• Add more milk as needed to get to the consistency you prefer. 
• Add 3 handfuls or 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until melted through.
• Add more milk if desired. If it gets too thin, mix up some more cornstarch and milk and stir in.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

There you have it.

Go forth and enjoy!

ஐღLauraღஐ 

...doing what I can with what I've got

where I am on a short shoestring budget!

~~~~~