Creamy Broccoli Soup

My husband and I will soon be leaving for our summer vacation, so I am trying to clean out the refrigerator.  Excess broccoli and raw milk caught my attention last night, and I found myself dreaming all day about broccoli soup.  Fortunately, I was not disappointed.  This soup is a doozy!  Velvety and savory, with the subtle sweetness of broccoli, it was beautifully satisfying.  We loved it so much, I decided to write this post right away so I will be able to remember how to make it in the future.  It is sure to become a staple in our home, particularly during the cooler months. 

Since our milk is raw, I wanted to avoid boiling it.  Thus, I have written the recipe so that the broccoli cooks in a little bit of broth before being combined with the milk at the end of cooking.  That way, the milk is only brought to a warm–not boiling–temperature.  If your milk is already pasteurized, this precaution is unnecessary.

 

Alison’s Creamy Broccoli Soup

2 tablespoons high-quality butter (Kerrygold cultured butter is the best!)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, crowns and stalks, chopped (peel the tough outer layer of the stalks)
1 cup chicken broth (I used a cup of water plus some good-quality bouillon)
2 cups milk, preferably whole and raw
1 teaspoon sea salt (Real Salt and Celtic Sea Salt are great choices)
freshly ground black pepper

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Pour in the broth and toss in the broccoli pieces.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, simmering until the broccoli is very tender.  The broth will not cover the broccoli, but that’s okay.  It will produce sufficient steam to cook the vegetable anyway.

Slowly add the milk and stir to combine.  Process in a blender until smooth and return to the pot.

Season with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.  Heat until just warm.

Enjoy!

Yield: about 4 first-course servings

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