Broccoli with Cream soup

The Tools

food processor, blender or an imersion blender


The Stuff

1 lb broccoli heads, rinsed
1 small spanish onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
olive oil
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper (I've been using tellicherry lately)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Heat a LARGE stockpot over medium heat (I use my Le Creuset stockpot that Whitta gave me for all my soups now!).  Add 2-3 tsp olive oil and onions and saute until translucent; 3-5 minutes.  Add in minced garlic and thyme and stir to combine.  While that sautés roughly chop up the broccoli heads, florets and stems (this is the one exception I make to use the woody stems, they add body to the soup).  Add the chopped broccoli into the stockpot, sprinkle with salt ans pepper and cook everything together until broccoli starts to turn bright green and you can smell it, 3-5 minutes.  Add in your chicken broth, taste and re-season with salt and pepper if needed then cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Continue to simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the broccoli stems give to slight pressure with your spoon.


Remove the pot from the heat, now you're ready to buzz it up! If using an imersion blender (stick blender) follow manufacturers instructions for use and blend soup until smooth.   If using your food pro, like I do, puree the soup in small 1-2 cup batches at a time, transferring smooth soup puree to a separate bowl until everything is done.  If you remove the feed tube's insert and cover the tube with a kitchen towel the steam and heat will be able to escape while you're buzzing it up. 

If your only choice for pureeing this soup is a blender, BE CAREFUL!!  Let the soup cool considerably and then blend, 1 cup at a time, with the vent removed from the lid and the hole covered with kitchen towel.  If you try to blend too much soup at one time the sudden heat expansion will cause a dangerous hot soup blender explosion and I can tell you from experience, it's not fun!!

Either way you get it done once the soup is pureed smooth add it back into the stockpot and put everything back onto medium heat to warm the soup back up.  Once the soup is nice and hot, remove it from the heat and stir in our heavy cream.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper until it's yummy, I love lots of pepper right at the end!  Serve and enjoy!!