When simply adding more broccoli didn’t generate enough vegetable flavor in our soup, we did some further research—and then threw out the rule book on vegetable cookery.
Time
1 hrYield
Serves 6 to 8Why This Recipe Works
Overcooking the broccoli in our Broccoli-Cheese Soup recipe coaxed all the flavor out of it. Adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water sped up the cooking process, and pureeing fresh baby spinach along with the other ingredients brightened the Broccoli-Cheese Soup’s bright green color and enhanced its vegetable flavor. Finally, cheddar and Parmesan gave our soup adequate cheesy flavor without making it heavy.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
pinch cayenne pepper
Table salt
3–4 cups water
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chicken broth
2 ounces baby spinach (2 loosely packed cups)
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (¾ cup)
1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated fine (about ¾ cup), plus extra for serving
Ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda and bring to simmer. Cover and cook, adjusting heat to maintain simmer, until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
- Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
Ask ATK
Have a Question?
We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!
231 Comments