Best Very Green Broccoli Soup Recipes

VERY GREEN BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the broccoli florets from the stems. Peel the tough outer skin from the stems and trim off the fibrous ends. Cut the stems lengthwise into slices about 1/2-inch thick and then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook until light brown. Add the onion and celery, lower the heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables slowly until tender, about 10 minutes. Regulate the heat so the vegetables cook without taking on color.
• Add the thyme and stir. Add the broccoli stems, stock, and salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes. Add the florets and continue to cook until very tender, about 5 minutes more.
• Puree the soup in a blender in small batches. Add some of the spinach and some of the lemon zest to each batch and then puree it. (The soup can be made to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Return the soup to the pan and reheat over gentle heat. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
• Chef's Note: When I plan on finishing a dish with the addition of a dairy product, as I do here with cream, I often add a dairy product early in the cooking, too, as I do with the butter in the initial cooking of the vegetables. It melds the flavors.

VERY GREEN BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut broccoli florets from stems. Peel tough outer skin from stems; trim off fibrous ends. Cut stems into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Stir in onion and celery; season with salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together gremolata ingredients; set aside.
• Stir thyme, broccoli stems and broth into soup. Heat to boiling. Cook uncovered over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in broccoli florets; cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very tender. Stir in spinach and lemon peel (spinach will wilt).
• In blender, cover and puree soup in small batches. (At this point, soup can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.) Return soup to Dutch oven; reheat over medium-low heat. Stir in cream; season to taste with additional salt and the pepper.
• Ladle soup into warm individual soup bowls. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon gremolata onto each serving. Pass remaining gremolata at table.

VERY GREEN BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the broccoli florets from the stems.
• Peel the tough outer skin from the stems and trim off the fibrous ends.
• Cut the stems lengthwise into slices about 1/2 inch thick and then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat until hot.
• Add the garlic and cook until light brown.
• Add the onion and celery, lower the heat to medium, and season with salt.
• Cook the vegetables slowly until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Regulate the heat so the vegetables cook without taking on color.
• Add the thyme and stir.
• Add the broccoli stems, stock, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.
• Cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes.
• Add the florets and continue to cook until very tender, about 7 minutes more.
• Stir in the spinach and lemon zest.
• The spinach will wilt into the soup.
• Puree the soup in a blender in small batches.
• (The soup can be made to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month.) Return the soup to the pan and reheat over gentle heat.
• Stir in the cream.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle a teaspoonful of Gremolata on top of each bowl.
• Pass the remaining Gremolata at the table.
• Variation with Gorgonzola Crostini: Another delicious garnish would be Gorgonzola crostini.
• If you make large ones, soup becomes dinner.
• Cut thin slices from good, crusty bread.
• Butter the slices on both sides and toast in a 375°F oven until brown and crisp on the outside but still soft within, about 12 minutes.
• Mash together equal amounts of Gorgonzola and unsalted butter (or to taste) and spread on the toasts.
• Return to a warm oven just before serving to allow the cheese to soften and warm, but not run.

VERY GREEN BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut broccoli florets from stems. Peel tough outer skin from stems; trim off fibrous ends. Cut stems into 1/2-inch pieces.
• In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Stir in onion and celery; season with salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together gremolata ingredients; set aside.
• Stir thyme, broccoli stems and broth into soup. Heat to boiling. Cook uncovered over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in broccoli florets; cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very tender. Stir in spinach and lemon peel (spinach will wilt).
• In blender, cover and puree soup in small batches. (At this point, soup can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.) Return soup to Dutch oven; reheat over medium-low heat. Stir in cream; season to taste with additional salt and the pepper.
• Ladle soup into warm individual soup bowls. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon gremolata onto each serving. Pass remaining gremolata at table.

VERY GREEN BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the broccoli florets from the stems. Peel the tough outer skin from the stems and trim off the fibrous ends. Cut the stems lengthwise into slices about 1/2-inch thick and then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook until light brown. Add the onion and celery, lower the heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables slowly until tender, about 10 minutes. Regulate the heat so the vegetables cook without taking on color. Add the thyme and stir. Add the broccoli stems, stock, and salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 3 minutes. Add the florets and continue to cook until very tender, about 5 minutes more. Puree the soup in a blender in small batches. Add some of the spinach and some of the lemon zest to each batch and then puree it. (The soup can be made to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month.) Return the soup to the pan and reheat over gentle heat. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Chef's Note: When I plan on finishing a dish with the addition of a dairy product, as I do here with cream, I often add a dairy product early in the cooking, too, as I do with the butter in the initial cooking of the vegetables. It melds the flavors.