Are you familiar with Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar soup? Well, I used to be.  I got it every time I went to Panera (usually in bread boule).  The stuff is amazing, isn’t it?  But, unfortunately, it’s not vegetarian.  It’s made with a chicken stock base, and therefore I longingly stare at it on the menu and then order something else (the vegetarian options are also great, in my opinion).  So, when I saw that one of my food blogging friends had made the copycat version in her own kitchen, I decided to try a vegetarian twist on it.  I was not disappointed.

I ended up substituting a vegetable stock base, and I increased the vegetable component to make it a little more healthy.  Coming from one of the biggest cheese regions of the country, I pulled out all the stops and used a high-quality sharp cheddar for the cheese (I used Cabot Creamery’s sharp cheddar….my favorite.)  This recipe does make a lot of servings, so if you aren’t planning to either eat it all or freeze it, I would recommend cutting the recipe in half.  My next challenge?  Trying to make the bread boule…….

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Servings: approximately 8 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

3 cup vegetable broth (plus more if needed)

Pinch nutmeg

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 carrots, grated

4 cups broccoli florets

8 ounces sharp cheddar, cubed

Instructions

1. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.

2. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside.

4. In a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium heat, whisk together the flour, milk, and cream.**It’s very important to be PATIENT here and whisk continuously.  The mixture will be lumpy, but it will smooth out eventually with the heat.

5. Whisking constantly, add the vegetable broth until smooth.

6. Add the nutmeg, bay leaves, and salt and pepper (to taste) and let the mixture simmer,uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

7. Add the cooked onions, broccoli, and carrot, mixing well.  Let simmer for another 20 minutes.

8.  Add the cheese and stir until completely melted, adding more broth if necessary.

Source: Adapted from Blog is the New Black.

I have a confession to make.  A dirty, awful, secret that I have been keeping for years.

I’m a sucker for green bean casserole….you know, the kind with the canned condensed soup and the dried onions that come in a cardboard cylinder.  It’s probably my favorite side dish at Thanksgiving each year.

I don’t know why this is a dirty secret.  I’m not ashamed.

But, you see, I have really been trying to cut back on lots of food with preservatives. I already put salt on lots of food sheepishly, and when I read the labels on many of these pre-packaged ingredients, I feel a little nervous about the amounts of fillers, additives, and extra surprises I am adding to my food.  I allow myself usually one processed item per day (my Smartfood white cheddar popcorn…it’s like crack to me), but the rest of what I eat is limited to straight up, pure, or almost-as-pure-as-possible food (unless we are talking about chocolate, especially snack size chocolate bars, which are also like crack to me).  A couple of years ago, when I cut back on things like that and started exercising a bit, I lost over 30 pounds.  I find that when I cut things out like carbonated beverages, excess sugar, or preservatives, I sleep better, I have more energy, and I don’t feel sick after eating as much (because I am usually eating while I work).

So, this year I wanted to find a green bean casserole that could be an easy substitute for the other version.  This is pretty awesome, people.  Granted, it’s not as simple to assemble as the “other” version (and, trust me, I will probably be eating the other version this year since I will be a guest at this year’s Thanksgiving festivities instead of being the host, and I will eat it with great enjoyment), but it’s extremely tasty.  There’s nothing like using the freshest ingredients possible when cooking.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Servings: approximately 6 side-dish servings

Ingredients

For the topping:

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons panko

1 teaspoon sea salt

For the casserole:

2 tablespoons sea salt (for boiling the green beans), plus an extra 1 teaspoon sea salt

1 pound fresh green beans, cleaned, trimmed, and halved

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces assorted mushrooms (I used a mixture of white button and cremini), cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup half-and-half

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. For the topping: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, flour, panko, and salt, tossing lightly to thoroughly coat the onions with the flour mixture.

3. On a rimmed baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray, spread the onions out in an even layer, and bake, tossing the onions occasionally during baking to allow for even cooking, for about 30 minutes.  Once the onions are cooked, decrease the oven temperature to 400 degrees (you will bake the casserole at this temperature.)

4. For the casserole: Meanwhile, bring a large sauce pot of water and the 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.

5. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to prevent overcooking; drain and set aside.

7. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.

8. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper (to taste), and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 4-5 minutes.

9. Add the minced garlic and the nutmeg, and cook, stirring frequently, for another 1-2 minutes.

10. Sprinkle the flour over the cooking mushrooms and stir to coat thoroughly, and cook for another minute.  Add the broth and continue to simmer for another minute.

11. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half, stirring frequently, and cook until slightly thickened, about 6-8 more minutes.

12. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/4th of the cooked onions and all of the green beans.

13. Transfer the mixture to a 1.5-quart casserole and top with the remaining onions.

14. Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

Source:  Slightly adapted from Alton Brown via the Food Network.

A few weeks ago I had this really weird craving for vegetable soup.  I don’t know why.  It came over me very strongly, but I was having trouble finding a recipe that would suit my needs.  No frills, no bells, no whistles.  I wanted straight-up, good-for-you, made-with-love vegetable soup.  I wanted something that would make me a large, easy-to-freeze batch for the coming winter evenings when I get home from work and don’t feel like cooking anything.  So, I found this one, and I added my own little veggie additions here and there.  I think that’s the beauty of vegetable soup: you can throw in basically anything (vegetable, that is) you want, and it ends up still being good for you.  I’m sure I have a long-lost family recipe somewhere, but this one is my new keeper.  And did I mention this might be one of the easiest soups I have ever made before?

Time to warm up those bellies, people.

Simple Vegetable Soup

Servings: 8 large servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek (white part only, chopped)

1 small shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced (use whatever kind you like)

2 cups green beans (I used frozen)

2 quarts vegetable broth

2 28-ounce cans of peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped and drained

2 cups corn (I used frozen)

2 cups peas (I used frozen)

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the leek and shallot and cook until softened and translucent, about 7-8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

3. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans, stirring frequently, and cook for another 4-5 minutes or so.

5. Add the vegetable broth to the vegetables and increase the heat to high.

6. Bring the soup to a boil and then decrease the heat to a simmer.

7. Add the tomatoes, corn, and peas, and cover, letting the soup simmer for at least 25-30 minutes before serving.

Source:  Adapted from Alton Brown via The Food Network.