A warning to those trying to avoid processed foods: The secret ingredient in this soup is Cheese Whiz. However, this is the soup I grew up on–it was the official broccoli cheese recipe for my Christian school’s annual soup supper all throughout the 80′s, and I think even now. It’s still my favorite, although the broccoli cheese soup from Simply in Season is a close second.
A bit of hometown history: This is rumored to be a recipe from the infamous Carriage Stop restaurant in Martin, which was closed because the owner was denied a liquor license. In 1987 Gordon Lyons split the huge historical building in half and then it was a town event when he moved it a few miles over the expressway to a different township. He never did get it put back together again, and after several years of dilapidation it mysteriously caught fire.
This is still one of my favorite broccoli cheese soup recipes, possibly even more so because it brings back memories of sitting on the sidewalk in town watching the Carriage Stop go by.
Ingredients
- 2 cups onion, diced
- 2 cups carrots, grated
- 2 cups potatoes, grated
- 3 cups celery, grated
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped
- 49 1/2 oz chicken broth
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup flour
- two 16-oz jars Cheese Whiz
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute vegetables until tender.
- Add chicken broth. Combine milk and flour in separate bowl, then add to the broth and vegetables.
- Bring to boil and let thicken 5-10 minutes.
- Add Cheese Whiz, salt and pepper; reduce heat and simmer 10 m inutes.
- Please watch so the cheese does not burn.
This post shared at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Love this post for so many reasons. Yes, I’m a fan of “use what makes sense in the situation”; if that’s convenience food, so be it. (Jeff Hage, FfT’s photographer and largely a food purist says his Polish grandma’s traditional potato-cheese pierogi simply cannot be made without Velveeta as “secret ingredient”; loved that!) And a recipe with a backstory or human interest? Always my favorite recipes to publish – such a great way to connect with readers! And your lovely conclusion, stating the memories this soup brings back? Proof that food is so much more than what sustains our bodies ~ it is an integral part of our culture and our personal histories because it connects us to much what is wonderful and comforting in our lives. (All part of the mission statement I wrote for FfT 5 years ago and much, I fear, of what will be lost in the newest food journalism effort to be “about all the coolest places and a chronicle of the high-end foodie scene.” Ah well, change was ever the one constant.)