Simple Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

This is a classic and very simple technique for homemade vegetable soups. I'm using broccoli, but almost any vegetable will work. I am a disciple of the Gordon Ramsey school of vegetable soups. It's basically the vegetable, some stock or water, cooked until tender, pureed, and seasoned simply. His 'crazy' theory is that the star of the bowl should be the featured vegetable itself.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 338 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bread, toasted
• 2 heads broccoli, florets separated and stems chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Top each toast slice with Cheddar cheese. Melt cheese with a kitchen torch until bubbling and golden, 30 seconds. (See footnote for broiler instructions.)

Step 2

Melt butter in a pot over high heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot butter until fragrant and sizzling, about 15 seconds. Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir broccoli into stock, pushing broccoli down into liquid; return to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Step 3

Puree broccoli mixture using an immersion blender until soup is smooth.

Step 4

Stir cream, cayenne pepper, and salt into soup; puree with immersion blender again until smooth, about 30 seconds. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese toast.