Ugh, soup?

Ok, so I used to hate soup. I thought it was a pointless food that served to make you feel better if you were sick. Why would I drink my meal or any part of my meal, when I have all these glorious teeth? At some point after having kids, though, my view of soup changed. Maybe it’s because I cook for our household, but soup is a pretty fun canvas upon which to experiment.

Couple that urge to create with my wife’s love of broccoli cheese soup and my desire to eat keto (and broccoli), and you have this recipe. You can do this a multitude of ways I suppose, depending on what cheese you prefer, but this way produced a complex yet delicious soup. Mostly fat and fiber, along with all the micronutrients broccoli is prized for, this soup is delicious AND healthy.

Why broccoli on keto?

Broccoli is healthy; if it wasn’t, kids would eat it all the time. It’s especially good for keto though, for several reasons:

• It’s got a very low glycemic impact. This means a blip in blood sugar rise and therefore it’s going to keep insulin low, which is the goal.
• It’s reasonably high in fiber, which you’ll want some of on keto, as keto tends to produce motility issues
• Traditional medical advice states fiber is important because it binds with dietary cholesterol. This is thought to improve blood levels of cholesterol, though recent studies suggest that it’s chronic inflammation and not simply “cholesterol” that is to blame for heart disease. Still, it does bind to fat, so that part is true, preventing absorption of some of it in the gut.
• Broccoli has a great micronutrient profile, including more vitamin C than oranges, vitamin A, and potassium. It also has a decent amount of magnesium, something else most ketoers are deficient in.

̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶k̶e̶t̶o̶?̶  ̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶e̶s̶e̶?̶  What a silly subheading

Of course cheese. All the time!

Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 medium heads of fresh broccoli, chopped into florets (and including the stems)
32 oz of chicken stock (vegetable works, too)
8 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Kerrygold Dubliner cheese or aged Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1 – Add the broccoli florets to a slow cooker. You can also do this on the stove.
2 – Pour in the stock
3 – Add in the spices and stir up the ingredients in the pot to incorporate everything
4 – Turn on your stove or slow cooker to low and cook for about 4 hours.
5 – At this point, you will either need to cool the mixture and add it to a blender, or use an immersion blender. Blend the soup until mostly smooth. Some broccoli chunks are ok.
6 – Add the soup back to the pot from the blender (or leave it be if you use an immersion-type) and add in the cheese and cream. Stir it up well and cook for another 15 minutes.
7 – Pour into bowls and let sit for a few minutes before serving – this stuff will be thick and very hot, so be careful

Remember to refrigerate your leftovers in shallow containers to help it cool off quickly! As I said above, this is even better the next day. It thickens up more and just really enhances the strong flavors of the soup.

That’s it! It will keep for about 4 days, but you won’t likely have it around anywhere near that long, as it’s pretty delicious. Keto soups are great because they often have the fat and calories to sate you like a real meal. This also serves as a great side dish, or an easy lunch.

Do you have a favorite soup, or do you, like I used to, think soup is not worth your time? If it’s the latter, give this a try – it might just change your mind!