Recipe: Potato, Ham, Broccoli & Cheese Soup with Rivels

Alas, our Christmas snow did not last.  It warmed up and rained like hell.

But then, once the ground was bare, the mercury shot south so fast the thermometers were left writhing in confusion.  Yesterday's high was 50; this morning it was in the low teens with wind chill around zero.

When it's this cold, a couple of things happen.  One:  the competition between dogs, cats, children and parents for real estate around the wood stove starts getting serious.  Two:  I make this soup.

This recipe came about a few years ago when I, in an atypical fit of indecisiveness, could not decide between broccoli cheese, potato, ham and cheese, and ham and potato soup.  The little dumplings, or rivels, are an added touch, a double dose of starch to fortify the body against the bitter chill.  It's a complete meal in a bowl (and a great way to use up leftover ham...).

Potato, Ham, Broccoli & Cheese Soup with Rivels

1/4 cup butter
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled & diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut to 1/2" dice
4 cups chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 batch rivels (see below)
2 cups diced cooked ham
4 cups milk
1 head broccoli, chopped (or 1 10-oz package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed)
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper

Heat the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Cook and stir celery, onion, carrot, and garlic until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the potatoes, stock, cayenne, thyme and parsley.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low; simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir the ham and milk into the stock pot and bring to a simmer.  Slowly sprinkle the rivel mixture into the soup, stirring to prevent clumps.  Stir in broccoli and Cheddar cheese.  Cook until the broccoli is tender and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Rivels:

1 egg
1 cup flour

With a fork, mix the egg and flour together until it resembles grains of rice.