In the chilly grip of winter, nothing beats a hearty dish to warm your spirits, and one recipe has surfaced as the ultimate comfort food.

Amy Sheppard, known for her books 'HOB' and 'The Savvy Shopper's Cookbook', has doled out a warming remedy to combat the biting cold - a new twist on the classic broccoli and cheese soup by infusing it with the much-loved macaroni and cheese.

Her innovation doesn't rehash traditional methods; rather, she loads it with generous helpings of cheese and a dash of macaroni pasta, conceiving a meal that puts 'you back together'.

Taking to TikTok, Amy declared: "I'm not sure that any soup that I've made will ever be as comforting as this one. It's thick and it's creamy, and it's got little bits of macaroni and a lot of cheese."

"This soup is not a lunch soup, it is definitely dinner soup. This is the sort of food I eat when I'm sad or I'm tired, or I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. This is the sort of soup that puts you back together."

Amy’s culinary creation struck a chord with her audience, as the video quickly amassed over 197,000 views, reports Daily Record.

Food enthusiasts have not held back their admiration with Louise writing: "Oh my!!!!! This looks unreal!!"

Another posted: "It looks yummy. I love broccoli in soup. Thanks for sharing."

Frankie said: "This looks immense. I will be making this week."

Kristina wrote: "Oh. My. God. I am absolutely going to make this."

If you're eager to try something new this soup season, here's how to whip up Amy's Broccoli Mac and Cheese Soup.

Broccoli Mac & Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• Oil for frying
• One onion, finely sliced
• Two heads of broccoli, broken into medium florets
• 450g Potato, peeled and finely chopped
• 1.5l vegetable stock
• 100g dried macaroni
• 120g grated cheese

Method

Heat a good drizzle of oil in a large soup pan with a lid. Add the onion and broccoli and fry on a medium heat for seven minutes, stirring regularly.

Take roughly a third of broccoli florets from the pan and set aside. Add the potato and stock and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on the pan until the potato is tender.

Blitz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the macaroni to the pan and give it a good stir. Bring to the boil before simmering with the lid on for seven minutes. Make sure to stir regularly so the macaroni doesn't stick to the sauce pan.

Cut the broccoli florets you set aside into smaller pieces, return to the pan. Simmer for another seven minutes (stirring regularly) or until the pasta and broccoli are tender.

Take the soup off the heat. Stir in the grated cheese until melted and serve.