PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI, BUTTERMILK & BLUE CHEESE SOUP

Purple sprouting broccoli, buttermilk & blue cheese soup image

Make the most of seasonal broccoli with this vibrant soup, ideal for lunch or a light supper served with warm crusty bread. Garnish with a sprinkling of mixed seeds and chives

Provided by Esther Clark

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
1 large potato (about 300g), cut into 2cm cubes
250g purple sprouting broccoli (stalks, florets and leaves), roughly chopped
1.1 litres vegetable or chicken stock
100ml buttermilk
100g blue cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp double cream
½ lemon, juiced
30g mixed seeds
½ small bunch of chives, finely sliced

Steps:

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole or saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion and celery with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until beginning to soften. Add the potatoes, broccoli and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 mins, or until the thick broccoli stalks are tender enough to pierce with a cutlery knife. Remove from the heat and add half the buttermilk and 80g of the blue cheese. Blitz everything together using a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste, then stir in the cream, remaining buttermilk and the lemon juice.
Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with the rest of the cheese, the seeds, chives and a drizzle of olive oil, then serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 427 calories, Fat 31 grams fat, SaturatedFat 15 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 20 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 6 grams fiber, Protein 13 grams protein, Sodium 1.3 milligram of sodium