Summer Squash, Broccoli, Potato and Cheese Soup

My parents have a very bountiful garden. My dad inherited a green thumb from my late grandpa, Bumbi. Whenever I visit my parents in the summer, I can expect to come home with a haul of fresh produce. I have delighted in cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary and dill thus far; nowadays I am inundated with summer squash.

What to do with it? I have made sautéed squash, summer squash noodles, breaded and friend discs, squash parmesan…. and today, with the first “cold” day of the late summer being upon us, I wanted soup.

My old favorite soup is potato, broccoli cheddar; I used that soup as my backbone here. I added the summer squash to the mix and exchanged the cheddar for parm and pecorino cheeses. For herbs, I used marjoram and thyme; they pair so well with those cheeses and complement the flavor of squash perfectly.

After a long day working on my basement, tidying up and playing with my puppies, that bowl of soup was precisely what I needed wind down. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 white onions, diced

1/2 cup carrot shreds

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

6 cups chicken stock

2 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup half and half

1 cup shredded parmigiano reggiano

1 cup shredded pecorino romano

2 tablespoons cornstarch

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large soup pot, add the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots; sauce until softened. Add the garlic, thyme and marjoram and cook until fragrant; about a minute. Pour in the chicken stock and potatoes; bring to a boil and reduce to s simmer.

Cook the potatoes until nearly cooked, about 8 minutes. Add the broccoli and summer squash and cook another 5 minutes, until the veggies are tender crisp. Add the half and half with corn starch dissolved in it, and the cheeses. Cook another 5 minutes until everything is thickened slightly and well combined.

Use an immersion blender to puree about half of the mixture, leaving in whole potatoes, squash and broccoli. Season to taste. Serve with more cheese and scallions on top and enjoy!

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