Broccoli and Potato Soup Recipe with Cheddar Cheese, Crispy Bacon and Crunchy Croutons

This quick and easy broccoli and potato soup recipe with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and crunchy croutons makes a deliciously creamy broccoli potato soup without any cream, but with loads of flavour and texture courtesy of grated cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, crunchy croutons, and optional but recommended toppings such as fragrant fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: European

Servings:

Calories: 544kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

Equipment

Ingredients

2 litres water or 1 part vegetable/chicken stock and 1 part of water
1 tsp salt
200 g potatoes diced in 2cm cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
200 g onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
400 g broccoli roughly chopped into small florets
2 smoky bacon rashers sliced into strips
2 tbsp croutons pounded into crumbs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vintage cheddar grated
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp fresh herbs such as dill, basil, celery leaves, etc

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

In a soup pot, boil the diced potatoes in two litres of salted water or a litre of vegetable or chicken stock and a litre of water.
In a wok or fry pan on medium-high, heat one tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering, then fry the onions until soft and translucent, add half the garlic and fry until fragrant, then transfer the onion and garlic to the soup pot.
To the same wok or fry pan on medium, heat two tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering, then fry the rest of the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, add the broccoli and stir-fry to ensure its covered in olive oil and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until soft and starting to brown.
Scoop 2-3 ladles of garlicky-onion stock out of the pot and into the wok/pan of fried broccoli – the liquid only for now; let the potatoes continue to boil and soften – and stir then leave to simmer for a few minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t stick and even adding another scoop of stock if needed.
When the broccoli is soft, turn the heat off and transfer it to the soup pot and stir to combine well. If the potatoes aren’t tender yet, leave it to simmer a little longer.
While you’re waiting, prep the garnishes/toppings: in the same wok you’ve been using, fry the slices of bacon rashers until crispy (you probably won’t need any oil but add a splash if you do); and pound the homemade croutons in a mortar and pestle until crushed into crumbs.
When the potatoes are tender, transfer the soup to a blender – you may need to do two batches – and pulse until thick and creamy.
Pour into soup bowls, drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil, shower with grated cheese, add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl, sprinkle on chilli flakes, strips of crispy bacon and crouton crumbs, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Nutrition