About the Recipe
A silky smooth and hearty soup with the option to add a protein due to the soups mild taste. Broccoli is bursting with vitamin C & K and zero fat, salt and sugar. Broccoli making up the majority of this soup is a no brainer as a starter or a main.
Ingredients
30g 2 tbsp butter
1 leak
850g 2 heads broccoli
1kg 4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic
7g 1 tsp salt
Soups & Stews
3g 1 tsp white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Garnish
Thickened cream
Grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil
Crusty croutons
Method
1. Roughly chop the leek, shallot and garlic, sauté with butter and optional olive oil until soft and a little caramelisation.
2. Remove florets from the broccoli stem and leave to the side.
3. Roughly chop the broccoli stem and boil for 5 minutes before adding the florets and boil for a further 10 minutes until the broccoli is soft.
NOTE: Bring the chicken stock to a simmer ready to add to the master pot.
4. Reserve 2 cups of the water the broccoli was boiled in.
5. Transfer the broccoli with a slotted spoon to the master pot with onion and garlic.
NOTE: be careful not to transfer any of the sand that may have remained in the broccoli.
6. Add the reserved water and the warmed chicken stock, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and remove the lid and allow the contents of the pot to cool slightly.
NOTE: you don’t want to damage your stick blender or accidentally splash any of the hot soup on you.
8. Blitz the soup until desired consistency, you will notice the soup will have a creamy texture now.
Serve with some optional garnishes, grated parmesan, chopped chives, croutons and salt and pepper. If you wish to have a more full bodied soup pour some slightly warmed cream.