Broccoli Cheddar soup, anyone? It's a treasure chest of nutrition!

Broccoli Cheddar soup, anyone? It's a treasure chest of nutrition!

Remember President George H.W. Bush's aversion to broccoli? I'd have to say he doesn't know his nutrition. It's true that there's a large population of broccoli haters. If you're in this group, read on and see why you might want to give broccoli a chance. Our broccoli cheddar soup recipe is fine indeed and the health benefits are so numerous and dramatic, you may want to try to enjoy this amazing, but much maligned veggie.

While broccoli has been cultivated for thousands of years, it was virtually unknown in the U.S. until the early 20th century!

Now, before we get to the delectable broccoli cheddar soup recipe, let's see what this veggie provides nutritionally. Like most of the dark green, cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is healthy eating indeed. Many nutrition experts put this veggie at the top of their list of nutrient dense foods.

Broccoli is a warehouse of vitamins and minerals, in prolific amounts not found in most veggies. The list of nutrients is long, including almost all of the B-complex (excluding B-12), copious amounts of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorous and potassium. In addition, broccoli is an excellent source of fiber, a boon to your digestive system.

Perhaps the biggest virtue of broccoli lies in the isothiocyanates (ITCs) it contains in abundance. ITCs are highly potent cancer fighters. Cancer is so prevalent these days, you can't help but worry that you, too, might develop cancer at some point. Broccoli, eaten just 3 times a month, has been demonstrated to reduce your risk of bladder cancer by, on average, 40%! Another study conducted with a mix of smokers and non-smokers found that non-smokers who indulged in raw broccoli just 3 times each month (!) were more than 70% less likely to develop bladder cancer than their smoking counterparts who did not eat broccoli at least 3 days in a month. Still other studies name broccoli as the food of choice to help prevent colon cancer and stomach cancer.

There are yet more health benefits you'll achieve by adding broccoli to your diet: you can protect against strokes, cataracts and macular degeneration.

It's surely enough to make you want to try our broccoli cheddar soup! You'll see that our recipe is made with steamed broccoli, dished into the soup bowl at the last minute, before serving. Then, the soup is garnished with broccoli sprouts. Why? Steaming the broccoli retains the maximum nutrients, as well as the bright green color, while reducing the bitter taste many find objectionable. Long cooking and high heat can reduce the cancer-fighting power of broccoli by anywhere from 60-90%. Adding your steamed veggie to the serving bowl minimizes the loss of nutrients and anti-cancer properties.

Our broccoli sprout garnish to this broccoli cheddar soup is not done without purpose. Young sprouts contain a naturally occurring chemical called sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS), a powerful agent that triggers the manufacture of enzymes in your body which outright kill cancer cells, or at worst, prevent tumors from growing. The amount of SGS in sprouts is typically twenty times more than is found in mature, raw broccoli. A mere half cup of sprouts, eaten daily, can reduce overall cholesterol by 15 points or more in a single week. So this broccoli cheddar soup is as powerfully healthy and attractive as it is delicious.

Broccoli cheddar soup

1 cube butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 sweet onion, coarsely diced
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups regular or 2% milk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 lb broccoli florets
4 ounces young broccoli sprouts
pound grated sharp smoky Cheddar cheese

Reserve one tablespoon of butter. Melt the remainder over low heat in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Meanwhile, cook the onion and tablespoon of butter in a small bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds. Set aside.

Using a whisk, add the flour to the butter in the saucepan, a heaping tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Continue cooking, whisking frequently, over low heat, for about 10 minutes (this gets rid of that 'raw flour' taste).

Slowly, add the chicken broth and milk, whisking as you go. Add the garlic and white pepper. Raise the heat to medium and stir every now and then.

Steam the broccoli florets, just until done. Do not overcook. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the sprouts between paper towels. Grate the cheese. Adjust your broth for salt and additional pepper, as desired. Serve the soup in bowls, leaving enough room for the broccoli florets. Add the florets, sprinkle with cheese and garnish with the sprouts in the center. You've got a broccoli cheddar soup to write home about! Enjoy ...