Broccoli and Cheese Soup

It has all of a sudden, after a lovely autumn weekend with blue skies and sunshine, turned into cold winter weather.  So out comes our gas heater, wood for the fire-place and hot chocolate as we bid salads goodbye and say hello to soups. Little things are as comforting during the cold months as a bowl of warm soup and a piece of warm home-made bread! A definite favorite of mine  is this  broccoli and cheese  soup.   It is really velvety and rich with delicious flavors leaving you comforted and satisfied.

This soup is also a real weekday winner as it is very quick to prepare and does not leave you with a lot of washing up! So three cheers for broccoli soup!

I served this soup with fresh bread and  croutons.  Also add a little cheese for garnish.  Feta will also work well.

This recipe is enough for 2 adults and 2  children.

Ingredients:

• 500g  fresh broccoli
• 1  onion chopped (1 cup full)
• 1 stick of celery chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  a pinch of  freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
• 1 t chopped fresh thyme
• 2 T butter
• 1 T good quality olive oil
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup fresh thick cream
• 1 T  butter for decadence  ( no, this is not optional! )
• 1 1/4 cups of grated mature cheddar cheese
• a little extra cheese for garnish

Method:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat together, with the olive oil in a heavy based sauce pan.
2. Add the onions, celery, garlic and fry until translucent
3. Add the salt, nutmeg, pepper and thyme and fry another half a minute
4. Add the three tablespoons of flour and stir well, cook  for about two minutes until it becomes fragrant and thickens
5. Add the chicken stock   1/2 cup at a time and stir continually while bringing the liquid to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the broccoli, simmering it for about 10 minutes until tender.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the broccoli and liquid with a stick blender. ( You can also puree it in batches in a food processor)
7. Return to the heat and add the cream, the extra butter and cheese stirring until the cheese has melted
8. Remove from the heat and serve in soup bowls with fresh bread and croutons.  Garnish with some more grated cheese