Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Overcooking the broccoli in our Broccoli-Cheese Soup recipe coaxed all the flavor out of it. Adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water sped up the cooking process, and pureeing fresh baby spinach along with the other ingredients brightened the Broccoli-Cheese Soup’s bright green color and enhanced its vegetable flavor. Finally, cheddar and Parmesan gave our soup adequate cheesy flavor without making it heavy. To make a vegetarian version of this soup, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli , florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium onion , roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
pinch cayenne pepper
Table salt
3–4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
2 ounces baby spinach (2 loosely packed cups)
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , grated fine (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving
Ground black pepper
1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
2. Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
Top the soup with buttery croutons.
BUTTERY CROUTONS
Makes about two cups.
INGREDIENTS
3tablespoons unsalted butter
1tablespoon olive oil
3large slices high-quality sandwich bread , cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
Table salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add bread cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. transfer croutons to paper towel-lined plate and season with salt to taste.
None Available.