I have a great recipe for broccoli cheddar soup just like panera. It's good but it always tastes a little sweet. I'm assuming it's from the broccoli or carrots. My sister suggested roasting the broccoli first. Ideas? Thanks
http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/05/copy-cat-panera-br...
Roasting vegetables makes them sweeter.
Carrots are sweet.
Omit the carrots. I don't like that soup with the carrots. I don't put it in.
It is just broccoli and cheddar. Soup.
Also depends on the cheese you may be using.
Various cheeses, have different tastes even if it is the same kind of cheese.
Cur back on the carrots, and use a white onion..
Usually, roasting vegetables makes them sweeter. How many carrots did you use? Carrots add a lot of sweetness to dishes. You might try substituting parsnips for the carrots or cutting back on the carrots. Also, I looked at the Panera recipe and it includes mustard and turmeric. I believe the mustard is a Dijon mustard since it includes white wine. So cutting down on the amount of carrots, adding a bit of turmeric and some Dijon mustard might help with the sweetness issue.
Skimming your recipe--if you made it verbatim, yes, it's likely that the carrots are the 'sweet' culprit. I cannot eat onions, so I use carrot as a substitute for that flavor profile... the last time I made my favorite tomato soup, I used a HUGE carrot and could tell it was noticeably sweeter.
Try the correction Elena suggested first; after that, you might also add a pinch of salt or two to taste.
And to take it one step further, what sort of onion are you using? Here's a link to a page which might be helpful.... if you are using a really sweet onion (like a Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet) that can also change the flavor.
http://onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/colors-sizes-seaso...
Good luck tweaking the recipe!
Carrots are super sweet. Every time we use our juicer to make carrot juice I am so surprised at how sweet the juice is. I'd say cut out most or all of the carrots if you want to get rid of sweetness. I would not roast the broccoli.
Are you using cream or half and half? I've noticed some half and half is sweetened with sugar. Read the label on what you're using.
Could you post the recipe? I don't think it is the broccoli. More likely it is the cheese.
Watch how long you saute the onions, they start to caramelize and get very sweet. The other thing is use sharp cheddar.
I have not made or had that soup.
However, I do make a homemade marinara sauce and I use finely chopped carrots to sweeten it a bit. Just a thought!
