Russell’s Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar “Raft”
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature, divided (see note)
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli, stems peeled and florets separated, all chopped into bite-size pieces. Bite sized is important as this soup isn’t blended.
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 6 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) *
Instructions
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli stems and onion and dried tarragon if using; sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and fresh tarragon if using; sauté 1 minute. Add stock; bring to boil.
Simmer uncovered until the onions & broccoli stems are very soft, about 13 to 15 minutes. Stir in cream and florets and simmer three to four minutes until florets are just tender.
In the meantime, mix a Buerre Manie, butter kneaded with flour to use as a thickener, with the remaining three tablespoons of butter and flour. This is easiest done in a small bowl, first mashing with a fork, then using fingertips to make a paste, but not to the point the butter is melted. Refrigerate if mixture becomes too warm. (see note)
Whisk paste into barely simmering soup and cook for one to two minutes, but no longer, until soup has a nice, cream-like consistency. If in doubt of your ability to maintain a very slight simmer, the burner may be turned off – if the Buerre Manie is added immediately; it will cook in the residual heat.
Soup may be made a day or two ahead. Cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Bring just to a light simmer to warm the soup before continuing, but do not allow it to continue to simmer and cook. Turn off the heat.
Preheat broiler. Place 6 ovenproof soup bowls on baking sheet. Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese over each. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles around edges, about 4 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, or wait a moment or two before eating!
Notes
The butter needs to be at the right temperature for the Buerre Manie to work properly. Room temperature is when you can slightly bend a stick of butter without it “blowing” out of shape or cracking. A finger touched to the butter should leave a slight indent without displacing the butter.
If you would like this soup thicker, blend it before adding the cream and broccoli florets.