Selena Robins, Author

Become the Super-shero or hero of your kitchen with this soup that is guaranteed to bowl your family and friends over.

Broccoli & Cheese Soup
Topped with a Baguette Crouton

Ingredients:

3 TBSP Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Small Sweet Onion, finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped
1 Rib Celery, sliced
1 Medium White Potato, diced
4 Cups Stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 Large Head Broccoli, chopped
Broccoli stalks, sliced
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
5 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled (or you can use Stilton, a milder cheese, or blue cheese—your choice of your favorite mouth-watering, melting type of cheese)

For the Crouton:

1/2 Baguette, sliced
8 TBSP Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic, and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until soft and onion is transparent.

Add celery and potato, slices of the broccoli stalk, stir, then cover pot with a lid, and lower temperature to simmer and cook for five minutes.

Pour in the stock and turn up heat to medium, and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring, until all the vegetables are soft.

Add the rest of the broccoli, and cook for five minutes (until broccoli is al dente).

Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Taste to adjust the salt and pepper.

Transfer soup to a blender (or food processor), blend until smooth, but you can also choose to blend half the soup and leave the other half allowing for a few lumps.

Transfer soup back to the pot, cover and lower heat to simmer (just to keep it warm).

At this point, make the baguette crouton by heating oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then add the baguette slices, ensuring that the slice is evenly coated with oil.

Fry for 4 minutes, turning them over to brown on both sides. Remove from heat, place on paper towel and return to the soup.

Turn the heat off, and slowly add the grated cheese a handful at a time, stirring to avoid clumpy cheese.

Once all the cheese has been added is melted, remove from heat, and ladle into soup bowls immediately, and top with a toasted baguette crouton.

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