Soup’s On! Broccoli Soup Recipe

It’s been a little while since I’ve made a soup.  No reason why really, it’s not like it’s suddenly summertime or anything.  Quite the contrary.  Rain, rain, rain.  Though now I feel guilty, because what’s a little thunderstorm when our Japanese friends are experiencing THIS?

Maybe a comforting bowl of soup will help ease the pain of the earthquake, tsunami, nuclear meltdowns as well as the California rain.

As usual, all simple ingredients that someone else shopped for.  I just foraged until I came up with an idea.

Ha!  And it wasn’t really my idea, either.  I was reading Laurie Colwin‘s Home Cooking….or was it More Home Cooking?  I can’t remember and honestly, I didn’t follow her recipe very closely.  But it did give me the inspiration and it did give me the orange zest.

If you didn’t know, I’m part of a book club.  My book club focuses on books that have to do with food.  Some food writing, some recipes….then we get together, eat a meal inspired by the book and talk about the book, about food, about cooking, about how Ohio and Wisconsin have gone off their respective rockers.

I know I’m a bit of a one-trick pony lately when it comes to my reading choices.  Food, food, more food.  Occasional novel.  Cooking, food, food memoir.  At least I’m consistent!  I’m enjoying this group though, it’s nice to know that there are a few others out there as nutty for food books as me.

This soup can really be adapted to use any vegetable.  I think I learned how to make this basic soup first when I was in my brief teenaged vegetarian phase.  Don’t we all go through it?  Then we all become deathly anemic and start eating bacon.  The gateway meat!

I encountered this simple vegetable soup again while taking culinary classes at ARC.  Also I encountered it as an eater at both La Bonne Soupe and Fog Mountain in Sacramento.  Aromatics, vegetables, stock, spices or herbs, cream or milk.  Blend.

Using my favorite kitchen tool–the immersion blender, of course.  Although you can use a regular blender or food processor.  Just be very careful when your soup is hot!

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Broccoli Soup

2 heads broccoli, trimmed and cut into uniform pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 cups chicken broth

1/2 to 1 cup milk, half-and-half or cream

pinch curry

1 tsp orange zest

salt, pepper, olive oil

…………………………………………………………………………

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil.  Add the broccoli and continue to saute until fragrant.  Add the stock and let cook, covered, until the broccoli is tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.  Use a regular blender or food processor if necessary, taking caution for the hot liquid.

Season with curry, orange, salt and pepper.  Serve hot.  Will keep a few days and freezes well.

Garnish with pepper and parmesan cheese.

 

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Tagged as: broccoli, Soup, vegetarian