White Cheddar and Broccoli Soup in Popover Bowls

Edited: March 2, 2018
Wow, I was really "cheesy" in high school, huh? ;)
Also, can you believe I've been inconsistently updating this blog since high school? I think I chose the right career, and I think it's time for a blog makeover.

Because this weekend was so strangely chilly, instead of making the Mango Pineapple Sorbet I was planning on (look for it next weekend!), I decided to showcase a nice, warm, homey meal.
This week, I did a lot of cooking, including some Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Rainbow Stir Fry. Since broccoli was on sale this week for 99 cents a pound, I took advantage and stalked up. I saved the broccoli stalks I had leftover from the florets I used in my stir fry. With the economy and food prices these days, it's really great to use as much of a product as you possibly can. And with fresh produce, you can use very close to everything!

I also made several tasty little quick breads known as popovers. Popovers are extremely easy, cheap, and quick to make, and they are excellent vessels for all sorts of fillings, including chicken or tuna salad, fruit salad, jam, desserts, purees, and even soups! So you must know where I'm going with this...

Pop-On-Over Broccoli and White Cheddar Soup

Clever name, right?
On with the recipes!

Popovers
 Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. While it's preheating, stick a muffin pan in there to heat up as well. This is an important step to remember! 
While your oven is preheating, mix together the following:

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 
1/4 t. salt

Also beat together:
2 eggs
1/2 t. olive oil

Begin combination by gradually (little by little) adding 3/4 c + 2 tablespoons of milk. Add the egg-oil mixture to this batter and beat for 2 minutes. Remove your hot pan from the oven, quickly oil each muffin hole, and immediately pour the batter into your muffin pan. Bake the popovers at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and finish them for another 10 minutes. If you don't plan on serving your popovers immediately, stab them in the top so that the steam inside doesn't make them all soggy and gross.

Now for the star of the show...

Broccoli White Cheddar Soup

3 broccoli stalks, roughly diced.
1 head broccoli florets, coarsely chopped.
1 block of silken tofu
2 oz. white cheddar cheese (I used sliced, and used about 3 and one more for garnish), cut into thin shreds.
Salt and pepper.

Begin by chopping up your broccoli stalks. Add them to a pot of salt water (add to taste because your broccoli stalks will become broccoli stock) with some whole black peppercorns and bring to a boil. Boil the stalks until they are fork tender, and your water has turned a delicate shade of green.

While your stalks are having a spa day, begin chopping up the florets.
After about 10-12 minutes of boiling, your stalks should be nice and tender and ready to be pureed!

Process the stalks until they become smooth in texture. Add ladles of the stock to help smooth and thin it out. And now, in true contradictory style, it is time for a thickener...

Hey dudes what is up?

That's correct: TOFU! Oh, you thought it was cream cheese? Well think again, because that is not where the "cheese" in this recipe comes from!

Anyways, add your 3 oz. of tofu, and blend it into brocolli puree until it's all smooth and creamy. While it's blending, you can either julienne your cheese slices (make sure it's all-natural white cheddar, not like, Kraft American Cheese or something...), shred a block, or, if you bought it pre-shredded...measure it out and add it to the food processor. Continue to add stock until you reach your desired consistency.
Once you have your soup blended to your liking, you can discard or save your remaining broccoli stock. Re-heat the pot while the soup is blending away, and add your broccoli florets, gently sauteeing them until they're just barely cooked. You can also add onions and garlic at this point for a little extra flavor. Next, pour  the smooth, creamy, super-broccoli soup back into the pot all over those broccoli florets, and stir it all together.













Pop the top off of one of your popovers (just check to make sure there are no holes in the bottom) and pour your creamy, dreamy, green(y) creation right on in there. Top with more shredded cheese for an extra kick.

Now, I'm sure once you taste this soup, you'll want more than the little popover can hold. So feel free just to eat your popover on the side with your soup in a bowl. But either way, they pair together wonderfully.