Broccoli Soup

A few weeks ago my neighbor was home recovering from surgery, so I did the neighborly thing and went over to see how she was doing. In the middle of our visit her brother John appears and hands her a cup of something green: homemade broccoli soup. She tries to get me to try it, but I’ll be honest, two words kept me from wanting to sample: broccoli and soup. Separately, I love both things, but broccoli liquefied…I just wasn’t tempted. Surely, I thought, there was cream or butter or something equally fattening in there that would just love to sit on my hips. I could do without. I resisted for a while, but Jennica, she’s quite persistent, so I tried her soup…and loved it.

I immediately cornered her brother and using my sharply honed interrogation skills was able to extract from him the super-complex recipe: broccoli, water, salt.

What?!

I’m embarrassed I didn’t figure that one out on my own, but that’s what’s so great about this soup – blending right after you boil the broccoli results in a very silky soup that fooled me into thinking I couldn’t possibly be eating something healthy.

Although I’m not sure how you can blend some broccoli and call the creation your own, John says this is a Gordon Ramsay recipe. I’m sure Mr. Ramsay would’ve been impressed when I accidentally left the lid loose on the blender and broccoli went spewing across my kitchen. Twice.Broccoli Soup

Take about 3 heads of broccoli (more or less depending on how much soup you want to make) and cut off the florets. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Before adding the broccoli, add a pinch or three of salt to the pot. Add the broccoli and then season again with some salt. Cover the pot and boil the broccoli for about 3 – 4 minutes, until the broccoli is tender enough that a knife will easily cut through a stem. Drain the broccoli, reserving the cooking water.

Fill your blender with broccoli while it is still steaming and hot. Fill the blender less than halfway with some of the reserved cooking water. Blend until creamy. Season with a bit more salt if desired.

You can eat this soup as is, or if you’re as obsessed with goat cheese as I am, garnish with some walnuts and a sliver of goat cheese.