CHEESESTEAK SOUP

This soup packed a lot of punch, and it was quite delicious. The warm and thick gooey soup made cheesy soups really stand out, and it highlighted the crispiness of all the flavor profiles. This might seem way too many steps, but the end result was spectacular. 

The recipe was from Food Network Magazine. I omitted the carrot and celery seeds, and the dish was still wonderful. What also uplifted everything was the pepperonici stirred in at the end, so I would try not to omit that. Also, there's going back and forth with pureeing the soup in the blender, so it's handy if you have an immersion blender. 

GATHER:

  • 5 tbsp                    extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 each                    small onion, chopped
  • 1 each                    carrot, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp                    celery seeds
  • 2 each                   garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp    all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp                      Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp                    hot sauce
  • 6 cups                   low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 each                   soft hoagie rolls, cut into 1/2-in cubes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 oz                       cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 oz                       provolone cheese, shredded
  • 1 lb                         shaved beef steak or roast beef
  • 1/4 cup                   jarred sliced pepperoncini
  • 2 tbsp                    chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping

MAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. 
  2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery seeds and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup flour, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, toss the bread cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes; set aside. 
  4. Puree the soup in blender until smooth. Return to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes. Toss the cheddar, provolone, and the remaining 2 tbsp flour in a bowl; slowly whisk the cheese mixture into the soup until melted. Return to the blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot and bring to a low boil; remove from the heat. 
  5. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pepperoncini and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls; top with the beef, croutons, and more parsley.