Broccoli and Cheese Soup : Perfect For Wet and Windy Weather Days

I think today (Sunday) is going to be a good day to enjoy a bowl of soup! The reason being Storm Ashley is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK, and for me when it's weather like this a warming bowl of soup can be very welcoming. Wherever you are keep safe.  

Ingredients
Serves 4 - 6

1 brown onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
100g/3½oz potato, peeled and diced
400g/14oz broccoli, stalk chopped, florets cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock (or light chicken stock)
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk
150g/5½oz mature cheddar, grated
To serve (optional)

100g/3½oz crumbly blue cheese (such as Stilton)
sourdough croûtons

Method
1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Gently fry the onion, leek and garlic, stirring from time to time to make sure they cook evenly, for about 10 minutes or until the onion and garlic have softened.
2. Add the potato and broccoli stalk to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the stock and bay leaf. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, half cover the pan with a lid and bring to a very gentle simmer. Continue to simmer the soup for about 20 minutes until the potato and broccoli stalks are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf and add the remaining chopped broccoli and milk to the pan. Stir well and continue to cook for another 3–5 minutes until the broccoli is tender. This timing will depend on the size of your broccoli pieces – be careful not to overcook the broccoli, it should still retain its vibrant green colour. Add the cheddar, stir to combine and then blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender.
4. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed, before spooning into bowls and topping with crisp croûtons and crumbled blue cheese.

Tip

Stilton is commonly used for its strength and salinity/saltiness, but milder blue cheeses work really well too!

Nutritional Information

This recipe based on six portions and without the optional toppings, provides a nutritional breakdown as follows:-

each serving 11g protein, 10g carbohydrates (of which 5g sugars) 15g fat (of which 9g saturates), 4g fibre and 0.6g salt.

From an original idea here

Similar Recipe Suggestion 

Brussels Sprouts and cheddar cheese soup - see it here

Dear reader, you will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic (more about this here) and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use a reliable meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan