by C. William White

Created on: March 12, 2010

Stilton cheese is made in Britain and is often called “The King of Cheeses”.  Stilton is trademarked and is an EU Protected Food Name.  The exclusivity of its manufacture is that true Stilton is only made in 3 English counties (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire) and by only 6 dairies. It is a strong, blue-veined cheese with a pronounced flavor and character. The Broccoli-Stilton soup recipe that follows uses these characteristics to produce a creamy, full bodied soup.

Ingredients:

350 g/12 oz broccoli, florets and stalks cut into small pieces

400 ml/14 oz vegetable stock

25 g/1 oz of butter

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

50 g/1 3/4 oz Stilton, crumbled

100 ml/3 ½ fl oz heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For croutons:

4 slices of French bread

100 g/3 ½ oz Stilton, sliced

Method:

1. For the soup, place the pieces of broccoli into a glass bowl. Pour over the vegetable stock.

2. Cover with cling film and place in the microwave. Cook on full power for four minutes until tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot then add the butter. When it starts to foam, add the spring onions and cook for one minute.

4. Place the cooked broccoli and stock into a blender. Add the cooked spring onions, Stilton and cream and blend until smooth.

5. Transfer into a pan and bring gently to a simmer.

6. For the croutons, toast the French bread under a grill until just golden on each side.

7. Top with the slices of Stilton and return to the grill until golden and bubbling.

8. Season the soup with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

9. Divide the soup between four warm bowls and top each with a Stilton crouton. Serve.

This soup, along with a green salad, is a perfect accompaniment to a grilled steak dinner!

 Recipe by Antony Worrall Thompson from the BBC’s “Saturday Kitchen” program.

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