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Dinner Tonight: Creamy Broccoli Soup

Posted by Blake Royer, November 10, 2009 at 5:00 PM

[Photograph: Blake Royer]

If cream of broccoli soup has a bad reputation for you—as it does for me, conjuring up a picture of thick sludge—then this might be the soup for you. I pulled it from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, entranced by the use of onions sauteed in butter, a splash of white wine, and sour cream. I imagined a rich yet balanced broth, neither gluey or floury, made to complement, not hide, the broccoli.

The wine and sour cream are indeed essentials here, the wine bringing a gentle acidity and the sour cream a key tartness. Heavy cream is often used in soups like this, which is undoubtedly luxurious, but I preferred the roundness and balance of the sour cream. I also took Bittman's suggestion in the recipe description to have the soup next to a grilled cheese sandwich, a natural pairing.

Apparently, I'm in the mood for creamy soups—last week's corn soup with roasted poblano, now this. It must be the time of year.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

- serves 4 -

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 pound broccoli, stems chopped and florets broken up
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, broccoli, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for an additional minute, then add the stock. Simmer until the broccoli is very tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.

2. Purée the soup using a stick or regular blender, or let it cool somewhat and pass it through a food mill.

3. Stir in the sour cream, season to taste, and serve.

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Tags: broccoli, soups, vegetarian

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