SHARED by:  Kitchen Little Cooking School

This flavorful recipe is a great way to incorporate veggies for those picky eaters. This recipe is a bit more involved than most recipes we post and we would suggest making a large batch, freezing them and pulling them out for those busy weeknight dinners when cooking seems impossible!

 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced or grated
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 4 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth plus 2 cups water to thin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt + pepper
  • 2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus more for topping
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • flakey salt for serving

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add 1 cup broth, the broccoli, carrot and then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Once the broccoli is tender, remove at least half of it from the soup. Puree the remaining soup in batches in a blender until chunky-smooth. Return the soup to the pot. Add back the reserved broccoli.
  3. Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Simmer the soup 10-minutes or until the soup is very thick. You want the soup to be more like a stew and not thin at all. Remove from the heat. Scoop out about half of the soup into a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl of soup in the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer for 15). Return the remaining soup still in the pot back to the stove. Stir in the remaining 1 cup broth.
  4. Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets out flat on a floured work surface. Then grab a rolling pin and roll the puff pastry out.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spoon soup into pie. Place rolled out puff pastry on top of pie. Trim edges. Cut air holes on top of pie and then brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and nicely browned.