Cream of Broccoli Soup

By MooK

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 Pounds broccoli (1 large bunch) *
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 Cup dry white wine
• 2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth plus extra as needed * *
• 2 Cups vegetable broth * * *
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 Cup half-and-half
• table salt
• ground black pepper
• Convenient though it may be, do not use frozen broccoli to make this soup. Fresh broccoli is essential.
• Buy low-sodium chicken broth so you have better control over the amount of salt that goes into the soup. Our favorite is Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth; Swanson’s “Natural Goodness” Chicken Broth comes in a close second.
• Our favorite commercial vegetable stock is Swanson’s Vegetarian Vegetable Broth

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Ingredients

Peel 1 onion and chop medium. Separate florets from stems on 1 ½ pounds broccoli. Cut florets into 1-inch pieces. Trim stems by squaring them off (this removes the tough outer layer) and slice thin. Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves. (You should have about 1 tablespoon.)

Sauté Aromatics and Broccoli Stems

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and broccoli stems and cook until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Thicken with Flour

Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute.

Add Liquids

Stir in ¼ cup white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups vegetable broth, smoothing out any lumps, and bring to simmer.

Simmer Broccoli

Stir in broccoli florets and 1 bay leaf. Return to simmer and cook until florets are tender, 7 to 10 minutes.

Puree Soup

Remove and discard bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to clean pot.

Finish and Serve

Stir in ½ cup half-and-half and additional chicken broth as needed to adjust soup’s consistency. Heat soup gently over low heat until hot (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.