Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup

Helen retired. Not officially — she says she's "reducing her schedule," which means she went from three days a week to two, which means by March she'll be at one, and by summer she'll be home full-time, and I'll need to adjust my routine to include a full-time spouse in a house that's been my solo domain since June 2015. I'm not complaining. I'm recalibrating. There's a difference.

She came home from the hospital on Friday and said, "I told them November is my last month of three days." She said it the way she says everything important — calmly, clearly, with the tone of a woman who has made a decision and is informing you of it rather than consulting you about it. I said, "Good." I meant it. Forty-one years of nursing. She's earned whatever she wants, and what she wants is mornings without an alarm clock and afternoons in the garden and the freedom to make bread on a Tuesday without worrying about Wednesday's shift.

To celebrate, I made her favorite: clam chowder. The real stuff. Salt pork, onions, potatoes, clams, cream. I've made it a hundred times, but this time I paid extra attention — diced the potatoes smaller than usual because she likes them that way, used fresh thyme from the last sprig in the garden, made sure the cream was warm before adding it so it wouldn't curdle. It's a small thing, attention. But it's the thing that turns cooking from a task into a language. I was saying something with that chowder. She heard it. She had two bowls.

David and Karen brought the kids down on Saturday. James is four months old and rolling over, which everyone treats as a miracle of human development even though it's been happening since the species began. Teddy announced that he can read chapter books now, which is an actual miracle. Anna, three and a half, drew me a picture of Frost that looked like a purple cloud with legs. I put it on the refrigerator next to the other masterworks.

The night was cold enough that I put an extra log on the fire before bed. Helen was reading in the chair by the lamp — a mystery novel, her tenth this month. She reads the way I eat: methodically, completely, and without apology. The house was quiet except for the stove ticking and Frost breathing and the particular silence of a November night in Vermont when the ground is freezing and the house is warm and the woman you've loved for thirty-eight years is two feet away, reading a book, alive, here.

I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. Some things the kitchen says. Some things the silence says. All of it is enough.

That kind of quiet — the fire-and-Frost-breathing kind — calls for something that fills the house with smell before it fills you with warmth. I’d had a pot of broccoli cheese soup on my mind all week, the loaded kind with bacon, the kind that earns its place on a cold November night in Vermont. Here’s how I made it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
5 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, plus extra for serving
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Render the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy and golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot.
Build the base. Add butter to the pot with the drippings and melt over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir to coat evenly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
Add the liquids. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth in a slow, steady stream to prevent lumps. Then stir in the milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Simmer the vegetables. Stir in the broccoli florets and shredded carrots. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. For a thicker texture, use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break down some of the broccoli against the side of the pot.
Add the cream and cheese. Reduce heat to low. Pour in the warmed heavy cream and stir to combine. Add the shredded cheddar a large handful at a time, stirring until fully melted before adding the next. Stir in the smoked paprika and dry mustard. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Finish and serve. Ladle into bowls and top each with reserved crispy bacon, an extra pinch of shredded cheddar, and a small dollop of sour cream if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread or oyster crackers alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Loaded Broccoli Cheese and Bacon Soup — The Language of a Warm Bowl