Creamy White Cheddar and Vegetable Soup with Orecchiette
This Creamy White Cheddar and Vegetable Soup with Orecchiette is full of vegetables simmered in a creamy white cheddar cheese broth and served over orecchiette pasta. It is hearty and filling, and while it’s great for a cold winter day, I love it in the summer, spring, and fall too.
Servings: 6
Calories: 549kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ lb baby carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ½ lb frozen peas
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese, about ¼ lb
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 lb orecchiette, Durum Wheat Semolina, Bronze Cut
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven at medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onion, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, bay leaf, and thyme. Sauté the vegetables for 7 minutes.
- Add the flour, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes. Add the low-sodium chicken stock a little at a time, while continuing to stir. It will thicken very rapidly. Keep adding the stock little by little to make a sort of roux. Once all of the chicken stock has been added, add the salt, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Separately cook the orecchiette until al dente.
- Add the frozen peas and return to a simmer. Add the milk and cheese, and stir until the cheese has melted. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Serve the soup in bowls over a small amount of the orecchiette. If you have extra shredded white cheddar cheese you can sprinkle that on top.
Notes
Orecchiette: I highly recommend buying a high-quality Durum Wheat Semolina Orecchiette. There is so much more flavor in this type of pasta and it holds up better in the soup. It's much less likely to get mushy than standard pasta. Be sure to cook it until al dente or even a minute less. You can find this kind of pasta at Whole Foods, and sometimes at Trader Joe's or specialty stores.
Cooking the Pasta: Not all pasta package directions for al dente are accurate. If you're not sure, always err on the side of cooking the pasta less. It will continue to cook slightly in the warm soup. Check the pasta 1-2 minutes before the directions indicate al dente.
Doubling the Recipe: I always double this recipe. That way you end up using half of a 1lb bag of baby carrots, a whole bag of peas, most of a block of white cheddar, and a full lb of orecchiette. Though, when doubling this I do not double the onion.
Pasta vs. Veggies: We try to only put a small amount of orecchiette in each bowl, so that the emphasis is on the veggies, rather than the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5908IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 2mg
