by Peg Lewis

Created on: July 20, 2008   Last Updated: April 02, 2011

Cream of Spring Broccoli Soup, Quick and Easy

This soup is simple enough for a family supper, but elegant enough for the soup course of a dinner party. The flavors are subtle and satisfying. Use only the best ingredients so the wonderful wholesome flavors shine through.

While this recipe really benefits from fresh broccoli, it can be made from frozen; local broccoli in season would be ideal. The recipe features ingredients that are available fresh when broccoli is in season, but they are available year-round. If you would like to leave the chunks of new potato whole, process the mixture before adding them. If you would like a cheesy cream soup, add chunks of good-quality cheddar or slivers of Parmesan with the heavy cream.

Ingredients (4 servings - double for 8 servings)

1 large head broccoli with stems
5-6 green onions (or substitute 1/2 brown onion)
1 medium new red or yellow potato, chopped in 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups flat-leaf spinach, carefully washed
1 T sweet or hot paprika
4 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste

Serving options: sour cream, extra green onions, chives, butter, or Parmesan.

Chop stalks from broccoli head and peel them, then chop all the broccoli coarsely. Place in a heavy pot, add water, chopped green onions, and potato. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove approximately 1/2 cup of vegetable solids and set aside. Stir in the spinach and cook only till wilted. Run the contents of the pot through a food processor, in batches, until smooth. Then return to pot along with the remaining solids. Stir in the paprika and salt. Cover and remove from heat until just before serving. Then heat until barely boiling, turn off the heat, and add the cream. Taste, adjust seasonings.

Serve with a topping of one or more of the serving options.

The rest of the meal:

This soup goes perfectly with a green salad and homemade bread. Whole wheat or whole rye breads are especially good, served with fresh unsalted butter. Bread sticks make a good texture variation. The soup is delicate in taste, so a simple oil and vinegar dressing, lightly applied, is most appropriate for the salad. A crisp white wine would be an ideal accompaniment. Sherbet served with berries would make a delicious dessert.

The recipe can easily be doubled. It does not freeze well, but tastes even better the second day if kept in the refrigerator overnight. A cup of this soup plus a ham and Swiss sandwich would make a good lunch.

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