Broccoli Cream Cheese Soup

CulinaryQueen's Note:

Compliments of Delia Smith's Christmas Cookbook. This is from the vegetarian section of the book. Cooking and prep time does not include the making of the homemade stock.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 8 ounces broccoli
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 leeks, rinsed and chopped (whites only)
• 2 tablespoons oats (whizzed in blender to a fine powder)
• 20 ounces milk
• 20 ounces vegetable stock (cube or make your own using ingredients below)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 ounces cream cheese

Vegetable stock

• 1 stalk celery, trimmed, cut in half
• 2 carrots, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 small onions, unpeeled, cut in half
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley (do not chop)
• 1/2 cup celery leaves (do not chop)
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups cold water

Directions:

1. MAKE VEGGIE STOCK FIRST (if you are using the homemade version). Simply place all the ingredients in a saucepan, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes. Strain and discard all the solids. The stock is now ready for use.
2. Trim the broccoli into tiny florets of 1/4 inch and rinse to remove any dust and dirt. Chop the stalk parts quite small also but keep separate from the florets.
3. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add the onions, leeks and broccoli stalks (you'll be adding the florets later). Stir well then cover the pan and leave the veggies to sweat for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the oats then add the milk, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition.
5. When all the milk is in, add the veggie stock. Stir well and season as necessary. Simmer gently for a further 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes.
6. In the meantime, steam the broccoli florets for exactly 4 minutes.
7. Pour the soup and the cream cheese into a food processor and blend until smooth.
8. Return the soup to the pan (which you have rinsed out), add the broccoli and reheat gently.
9. Check for seasoning.
10. Serve with toasted croutons or oatcakes.

Reviews

[Chef Kate]

This is ten stars for the vegetable stock -- what a great recipe--so simple and quick and the resulting stock is so delicious that I'm using it this weekend for tortellini en brodo. As for the broccoli soup--super!! I shortcut it a bit--using frozen organic florets and thus not having to cook the stems longer. I pureed the soup with the immersion blender and it was so good without the cream cheese that I did not add it. I grated some fresh nutmeg on the top of each serving--everyone loved it. Thanks!!!