Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Soup in the summer seems weird, right?  I agree.  Especially down here in the South it is SO HOT.  And don't even get me started on the humidity.  So normally I shy away from soup any time between the months of about March and November.  But this soup is such a good way to get vegetables in that I couldn't resist trying it.  Typically when I think of broccoli and cheese soup I think creamy and rich and not at all healthy, ESPecially if it comes from a restaurant.  Incidentally, I'm learning that I trust fewer and fewer restaurants, which is sad.  But that's neither here nor there.  Back to the soup.  It is really delish without being creamy and heavy, yet it still has the creamy consistency.  And even though it's the summer, it can still be enjoyed as an appetizer (not too much to make you hot!) if you can't bring yourself to eat an entire bowl.  And it's even good cold.  Or so the hubs told me as he gobbled the leftovers the next day. 

Ingredients

 

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

2 yellow onions, peeled and roughly diced

4 large stalks of broccoli (about 2-2 1/2 lbs) cut into small florets

8 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

2 cups of arugula (watercress would be good, too) or more to taste

1/4-1/2 cup of Romano or another strong cheese

Directions

 

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 1 - 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for 4 minutes or until bright green. Add the stock, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender. Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth. You could also use an immersion blender if you have one. 

 

As always, be very careful when blending hot liquids. Start slowly and work in batches if necessary.

 

Pour the soup back into the pot, stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese (or more if you'd like).

 

Serve with extra black pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

 Printable Recipe

(Recipe from this blog)

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