Broccoli Soup 101

By Chef Michael Smith

There’s nothing quite like a steaming hot soup bowl brimming with intense vegetable goodness. But not a fan of pale promises? Vegetable soup that’s more filler than flavour? No worries. You can fill more than Half Your Plate with true broccoli flavour by following this super simple recipe.

As with any simple soup recipe a few easy options are included too:

• Bacon and cheddar for even deeper flavour that’s guaranteed to satisfy any picky veggie-averse eaters.
• Your choice of liquid so you can control how rich the results are.
• How to make a pure vegetarian version.

Serves 4 to 6 

4 slices of chopped bacon, 1/4 cup of butter, or 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 large heads of broccoli, cut into florets and chunks
3 cups of water or chicken broth
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons of salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper
4 ounces of your favourite cheddar, grated
Toss the bacon into a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add a big splash of water to help it cook evenly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the bacon is deliciously browned and evenly crispy, about 10 minutes or so. Alternatively add the butter or vegetable oil. Toss in the onions and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, just 2 or 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, your liquid choice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Briefly bring the works to a full, furious boil than reduce to a slow, steady simmer. Cover and cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender, about 10 minutes.
Set up your counter top blender and – working in batches if necessary – safely blend half the soup. Continue until you’ve blended every last drop. If you’d like to minimize your clean up try using an immersion blender. It’s convenient and although the results wont be quite as smooth they will be equally as delicious. If needed reheat the soup briefly before serving. Sprinkle with cheddar. Serve and share!

Kitchen Tips
Just a few slices of bacon adds a deliciously savoury element to the flavour base. It doesn’t take much but feel free to leave it out. They’ll be plenty of flavour left behind!