Since it was a rainy So Cal weekend I wanted to make some cozy comfort food. I decided to make Broccoli Soup with Blue Cheese and it was ok...I love blue cheese! So in my opinion this soup could have definitely used more blue cheese and maybe even more cream because the overwhelming flavor was broccoli. Sure broccoli is great and all, but I had envisioned almost a broccoli cheese sauce flavor and that just wasn't happening. I did like the addition of the garlic croutons as it was a nice contrast in texture, but this was definitely not the soup that dreams are made of....especially post-detox dreams.



The soup was, however, extremely easy to make.


Saute the onions in butter for approximately 4 minutes or until tender.


Add the broccoli and chicken broth and cook for 7 minutes. I did find that I had to cook the broccoli a little bit longer, probably closer to 10-12 minutes.

Remove 1 cup of the broccoli, to use as garnish.

Add 1/4 cup of the blue cheese and the the half and half.


Puree in the blender. I did it in batches so the soup wouldn't explode. Remember to be careful of hot items under pressure in a blender...yes, I know this from experience. I also have to say that my soup was way more green than the picture of the recipe....hmmm I don't know if that was an indicator of too much broccoli or photo shop on their part, but just an observation.

Top the soup with a sprinkle of blue cheese, the reserved broccoli and the croutons.

I served the soup with some foccacia and it was perfect!!

Here is the actual recipe:


Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup croutons

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a medium pot over high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add broccoli and broth and cook, covered, until florets are tender, about 7 minutes.
2. Spoon out 1 cup small florets and reserve. Add 1/4 cup cheese, the salt, pepper, and half-and-half to pot. Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes per batch.
3. Divide mixture among 4 bowls. Garnish each with reserved florets, a sprinkle of remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and a few croutons.



This is what I ate as I watched the Oscars and on a side note I need to get to the movies more often. I hadn't seen a single move that was nominated...how sad was that...so my opinion was a very uneducated one and I was pretty much in the dark. I guess after I complete this Downton Abbey obsession I must watch movies. Cheers!