Sunday, January 15, 2012

Instant Karma Broccoli Chowder


"Instant Karma" was playing on the car radio and I asked Mr. Rosemary what he thought "instant karma" meant.  His first response:  "Love at first sight."

Now that's not the real definition of instant karma, John Lennon's version or not, but that's what I thought of today as I made this chowder:  It was meant to be, especially on a frigid day like today.

As we were headed out the door this brisk morning, layering ourselves in our barn clothes to much the horse stalls, Mr. Rosemary told me the thermometer read 10 degrees.

Pretty dang cold.

After we finished our chores (and it was indeed dang cold!), he told me that he'd misread the thermometer without his glasses on:  It really had said minus 1.0.  Now that's real dang cold.  (Sometimes it's better not knowing actually how cold it is.)

Soup is the only cure for that many degrees of frigidity!

I'm still in the post-holiday mode of lightening up, though, and where I would ordinarily make broccoli soup with cream, or at least half-and-half, I adapted a recipe I had plastered to the fridge earlier in the week for a less rich soup from Eating Well.

This soup gets its thickening from a little flour and potatoes and the creaminess from  non-fat yogurt. (The original recipe uses reduced fat sour cream.  I also subbed chicken broth for  vegetable. I also used whole fat cheese; just less of it.)   Of course all the good effort was probably negated when I had a piece of buttered beer bread on the side  -- the beer bread's for another post -- but, after all, it is my karma.


Broccoli Chowder
adapted from Eating Well
makes 6 (1 cup) servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon AP flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
28 ounces chicken broth
1 bunch broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring often until the onion and celery soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.  Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often again, for another 2 minutes.

Add broth and cut up broccoli; bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to medium.  Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.  Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash and then return to pan.

Stir in cheese and yogurt and cook stirring until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through.

18 comments:

  1. I'm not a big fan of broccoli but this looks delicious!

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  2. I love broccoli and this looks like the perfect way to enjoy it - in a warm comforting soup. Yum!

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  3. I well remember some of those Michigan days and yes, sometimes it's better NOT to know how cold!
    Looks like a really comforting and warming soup, Rosemary!

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  4. Looks so good!! We are getting a winter storm here in Oregon and I'm in serious need of some tasty cold weather soups. I am pushing my chicken dinner back so I can make this up tonight! :)

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  5. Brrrrr!!! I hope a bowl of your wonderful soup warmed you up! I'm making soup tonight too but we are warm compared to you guys;-)

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  6. We do have meatless dinner night here and this recipe is just a perfect fit. Both of us love chowders and a broccoli version does sound hearty as well as healthy. Glad you posted this one, well worth a place on the dinner table-yum!

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  7. Such a lovely colorful broccoli chowder, and so delicious. Love Eating Well recipes. I have to subscribe to their magazine, which I used to have a few years ago, and now I miss all the light and great recipes.
    Soup is my "comfort" now, on WW...and your chowder sounds very comforting to me, Rosemary!
    Thanks for sharing:DDD

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  8. Mmmmm....this looks wonderful, Rosemary! I like that it's a lightened version, too. And, YIKES, I won't complain about our lows in the teens!

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  9. The soup looks amazing - an the light version sounds delicious! ...and that was REALLY DANG COLD!

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  10. Thank you! My husband has been asking for me to make this soup and here you give me the recipe. We are expecting a snow storm today.
    Rita

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  11. Well, it must be karma that I stopped by to read your blog and fall upon this lovely broccoli chowder because my daughter has been asking me to make it. It's one of her favorite soups and I've yet to try it. This recipe sounds perfect and I love the idea of using yogurt to keep calories down. Thanks for sharing and keep warm! (I didn't know you own horses - share pictures some time! Maybe you have but I didn't see those posts. I'll poke around a bit . . .)

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  12. I like the interpretation of instant karma from Mr. Rosemary..;-) The broccoli chowder looks very delicious.

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  13. This sounds wonderful. I really want to try this one. I hope things warm up in your area. That cold sounds brutal.Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  14. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

    I remember making a broccoli cheddar soup from Eating Well not long ago that used white beans and it was pretty good. I'll have to look this one up. Looks like a nice flavor blend. It defintely is pretty dang cold out today!

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  15. This sounds wonderful, and I'm thinking about lightening up my diet this month too. Yum!

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  16. Do you think greek yogurt could be used? I tend to have that in my fridge. But I would like to try this, "the boys" may actually like this one!

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    1. Krista -- I'm sure you could use Greek yogurt. It would just be a little thicker I imagine, a good thing!

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  17. This looks excellent! My kids love broccoli cheese soup, but I just can't get past the overwhelming "cheesiness" of it. A chowder might make all of us very happy! I'm saving this to try soon. Thank you!

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