Broccoli and cheddar cheese soup is okay, but broccoli and smoked cheddar soup is addictive. I always choose the smoked version of a cheese when it’s available (e.g. smoked gouda, smoked raclette (see how to make a raclette dinner here), smoked gruyère, smoked provolone, smoked mozzarella). When it comes to smoked cheddar, I prefer the brand, Balderson’s double smoked cheddar cheese, aged 1 year.

Broccoli and Smoked Cheddar Cheese Soup Recipe

serves 6; adapted from here

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk (Note: The original recipe recommended half and half cream, but whole milk made the soup creamy enough for my taste.)

4 cups of broccoli florets, cut into small bite sized pieces

1 or 2 large carrots, finely diced (Note: Using 2 large carrots makes the soup heartier and more filling, but I like the way the soup looks when less carrot is used.)

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika, regular or smoked

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferred brand: Maille)

1 cup (plus more for garnish) coarsely grated and lightly packed high quality double smoked cheddar cheese (preferred brand: Balderson)

In a small frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat and cook the onion until translucent, soft, and just starting to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and stir frequently for 30 seconds. Then stir in the paprika, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot (I used an enameled cast iron pot), melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow the roux to to thicken and brown, but do not allow it to burn. Then gradually add 2 cups of water in a thin stream as you stir constantly. Once well combined, add the milk in a thin stream as you stir constantly until combined as well. Raise the heat if necessary to bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, uncovered until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning and to reincorporate any skin that forms at the surface. Add the carrots and allow to simmer for 5 more minutes. Then stir in the broccoli, onion mixture, and Dijon mustard. Cover the pot with its lid and raise the heat to achieve a simmer. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer until the broccoli is tender but not too soft, and the soup has achieved the desired consistency. This should take about 20 minutes. Note that if the soup is too thick for your taste, add water and simmer covered (I added 1 cup). If the soup is too watery for your taste, simmer uncovered. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken a bit as it cools.

Stir in the smoked cheese until just melted and incorporated. Add salt and black pepper to taste, then remove the pot from the heat. Serve immediately topped with extra shredded cheese as a garnish (optional). You will likely need to add a little bit of water to the leftovers before reheating.