Cream Of Broccoli Soup

I wanted to try out a nice soup this time to add to the blog. What would it be? I had been eyeing the fresh broccoli sitting at the vegetable vendor’s last two times I visited them. But I would postpone buying it every time. How about broccoli soup?

Broccoli hails from the Cabbage family and originated   in Italy. It is an ample source of Vitamin C and dietary fibre.  A cup of this hot green coloured soup is therefore a rich supply of nutrients.

 The cream of broccoli soup is creamy, rich with the taste of vegetables like cabbage,bottlegourd and potatoes that go into  making the white stock which is a necessary ingredient .A little salt and a dash of pepper on the green coloured steaming soup dotted with small green broccoli florets finish the dish-one of the best soups ever.

 I started making the soup….The process was a wee  bit lengthy…Since I had no readymade white stock I made it.then I proceeded to  make the soup finally.…but  the soup was so yum my haphazard kitchen  and the cleaning process after making it was soon forgotten as I sipped the hot hot soup….

Ingredients

For White Stock

Chopped Bottle gourd/lauki-1/3 cup

Chopped Potatoes- 1/3 cup

Onions- 1/3 cup

Shredded Cabbage-A handful

For broccoli soup

Butter-3 tbsp

Onions-1/4 cup

Broccoli florets-3/4 cup

White stock-2 cups

Plain flour- 2 tbsp

Milk-2 1/2 cups

Pepper powder–to taste

Nutmeg  powder- to taste

Salt- to taste

Method

For white stock

Combine   all vegetables with 4 cups of water and boil till water reduces to ¾ of its quantity and vegetables are cooked. Keep aside to cool

Blend in mixer and strain

For broccoli soup

Heat 11/2 tbsp butter in a pan.Add onions and sauté on medium flame for 2 minutes

Add ¾ of the broccoli florets and sauté on medium flame for a few minutes.

Add white stock .Cover with a lid till cooked. Stir at frequent intervals while they cook.

After it cools blend in mixer.Strain.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. of butter in another deep pan; add flour and sauté on medium flame. Make sure flour does not discolour.

Add milk and stir continuously on sim

Add salt,pepper, nutmeg powder and mix well.

Add the broccoli purée, mix well and simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes.

 Serve hot garnished with small  broccoli florets.