Eric’s Hearty Cream of Broccoli Soup

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It is officially winter here in Southern California! I know readers across the world are rolling their eyes at an Angelino complaining about the weather, but we had real weather action (as opposed to sunny and 70) for a whole workweek. A hard, steady and cold rain that would be the talk of most any town – it was like living in Forks or that kissing scene in The Notebook.

The best thing to come out of the weather (besides the fact I could wear my kick ass rain boots) was that dinner every night of the week consisted of soup, soup and more soup! Eric even pulled out the big pot and whipped up a batch of homemade, Vegetarian Cream of Broccoli Soup. I admit it isn’t the most photogenic of soups (Stef says it looks like a witches brew) but it is Green Monday after all, and look at the steam coming off the simmering pot! The magic of this soup is that it will warm you straight down to your toes.

For a veggie recipe, this is one thick and hearty soup! Eric borrowed from a highly rated recipe culled from allrecipes.com (Best Cream of Broccoli Soup) and used it as his guide, adding and substituting as he went. But, the piece de la résistance was his batch of homemade croutons to top off the soup:

Thick & Hearty Cream of Broccoli Recipe Soup

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 – 2 cloves garlic
• 3 cups vegetable stock/broth
• 8 cups chopped broccoli (trimmed stems and all)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups non fat milk
• ground black pepper to taste
• celery leaves for garnish

Directions
1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stockpot, and sauté onion and celery until tender.

2. Add the crushed garlic during the last minutes of sautéing, be careful not to burn the garlic.

3. Add the broccoli and veggie broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Mash soup (for a chunky soup) or puree (for a creamier texture) and return to heat.

Next up: the roux, this classical French cooking technique, combining flour and fat, is the thickening agent for the soup – and is also used in gravies, sauces and stews. It’s a fairly simple process (and a whisk is essential), but using words like “roux” when cooking will impress your friends.

4. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter and stir in flour. Add the warm (not hot) milk (Eric says warming the milk before adding it to the saucepan is crucial for getting the right consistency). Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings. Top with Homemade Croutons, celery leaves and serve piping hot.

Super Tasty and Super Easy Croutons:

• Cube whatever bread you have on hand – we used a loaf of fresh sourdough.
• Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over a medium flame.
• Once the oil is hot, drop in the cubed bread.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, etc.
• Heat bread evenly, turning often until a nice golden brown.
• Top your yummy soup with your fabulous homemade croutons and chase the winter chill away. Enjoy!