This soup uses potato to give it a creamy feel, and there is no dairy in it at all. The garlic used is young “green” garlic which has a lovely garlic aroma and a mild flavor without any heat. If you wish, omit it. The soup is excellent either way. This soup is also good served cold a la Vichyssoise. See Notes for ideas. By the way, you do not want this soup to boil- boil this soup and it will turn khaki and smell very broccoli-esque. This recipe includes a step where the stock is simmered with the peelings of the broccoli to add flavor. This is optional, and omitting it won’t hurt.
INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1½ pounds (4-5 cups) broccoli 1 medium-small white onion, diced fine 2-4 green garlic stalks, white parts, peeled, rinsed, and sliced finely 1 stalk of celery, chopped fine 1 smallish carrot, cleaned and chopped 1 large Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold potato -Optional- ½ cup dry white wine such as Grenache blanc or sauvignon blanc 1 quart mild vegetable stock ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or to taste Salt & White Pepper to taste Grape seed or other neutral flavored oil, as needed
METHOD:
Slice off the very bottom of the broccoli stalk and discard. Cut the rest of the stalk from the florets as high up as you can, and peel the skin from the stalk. Save the skins and a few florets into the stock. Use a paring knife or scissors to trim ¼ cup of the florets of the very end floret/bud/clusters. These are only for garnish, so you can skip this if you want to save time.
Heat the stock over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the peels to the stock. Reduce the heat so the stock is at a bare simmer and cook 10-15 minutes or so. This is to build the flavor of the broccoli into the stock. While the stock is simmering, place the trimmed end bits into a fine mesh strainer and dip into the simmering stock to blanch them. Cook just long enough to turn them bright green and take away the “raw”. Run under cold water to arrest cooking anf dry on a towel. Reserve to garnish soup.
Heat the soup pot over medium heat. When hot, coat the pan bottom with oil and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and thyme and toss to coat with oil. Sauté gently to soften, but try to avoid coloring the vegetables much.
Add the potato to the vegetables and sauté until all are getting tender. Add the wine if using, and cook until it has reduced by 80%.
Strain the hot stock into the pot. Add the broccoli and simmer (Remember- do not boil the soup!) for 8-10 minutes or until just tender and bright green.
Carefully, puree the vegetables in the blender. Use just enough of the liquid to get it moving. (Remember- Hot liquids in the blender want to explode out when the machine turns on. Only fill the machine partway and cover the lid with a towel.)
Strain the puree into a clean soup pot, and add enough stock to the puree to give it a nice smooth texture. Season to taste. Sprinkle the soup with the broccoli tips and serve right away.
Chef’s Notes:
You can make this soup without the garlic and it is still great, or you could use clove garlic instead, but only use one or two as this soup calls for gentle seasoning. If you wish to serve this soup cold, you want to season it a little more aggressively as cold soups lose about 30% of their flavor due to being cold. Also, you may wish to use a little more stock to thin it down a little as the soup will be more viscous at lower temperatures. Little toasts with melted cheese make nice garnishes for the soup hot or cold, or make fricco (See recipe) as a complement.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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Very tasty! Please add in how to chop potato, I diced mine, ½ inch cubes.