Today is no exception. Typically, I get up, have myself a bite of breakfast (while watching my taped episode of Ellen) & then head out with my four-legged walking companion, Shaquille, for our morning burst of exorcise. Today, it somehow became noon before I had my runners strapped on & someone behind his desk (he who will not be named, but aka, the man of the house) was whining about needing a bite to eat.
Well, that was all the inspiration that I needed. That, & the fact that I knew I had a package of fresh broccoli flowerettes in the fridge that were heading less & less towards fresh every day. I was thinking broccoli cheddar soup, but when I began the quick cookbook study on the matter, I quickly came up with this version from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats If you happen to have this book, you will notice my slight digression from the original…
Creamy Broccoli Soup
2 tbsp EVOO
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, zested or minced
1 tsp thyme, ground
salt & freshly ground black pepper - I had to add a wee bit more salt upon tasting the soup, broccoli cries out for a little salt
Tabasco, a few dashes
1 bag pre-packaged broccoli flowerettes
1 quart (4 C) chicken stock - I love to make from "Better than Boullion"
1/2 C cream - I would have used milk, but was out & had coffee cream in house, so used it in a pinch
8 small handfuls cubed stale bread (I always have frozen in ziplocs in the freezer - I used to throw out a a lot of odd & sods of bread, but no longer…no one cares much for store-bought croutons around here any more!)
1/2 C grated Tex-mex cheese
sprinkle of parsley
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
Heat EVOO in large soup pot over med high heat. Add bacon & cook until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon & drain for a min on some paper towel. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper & hot sauce. Cook, stirring often for 4-5 mins until onions are getting tender. Add the broccoli & continue to cook til broccoli is tender. (I had a bottle of white wine - that wasn't my favourite - sitting lonely in the fridge that I poured in about 1/2 C of. This moisture helped the broccoli along. I would add a little stock, at this time, if I didn't have any wine open) Once the broccoli is tender, working in 2 batches, add it to a blender with appx 1/2 C of stock & puree. Be very careful blending hot soup. Have a kitchen towel at the ready & hold it over top of your blender lid to catch any steamy escapees! Do not overfill the blender whatever you do!! Add the pureed soup back to the pot & stir in remaining stock & cream. Bring up to a simmer & cook for 8 - 10 mins.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler in your oven. Place your bread cubes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, sprinkle over the cheese, bacon crumbles & parsley. Once your soup is nearing the 8 min mark, slide the bread cubes into the oven to become ooey-gooey, crunchy good. Keep a close eye - this only takes a min or two!!
Right before serving, add the lemon zest & juice to soup & stir to combine.
Transfer the soup to serving bowls & top with a generous portion of the toasted cheesy bread cubes…aaaannnnd, dig in…so yum!!
*I think, next time, if I had a bit of the evil process cheese (whiz) around, I might put a spoonful in - just saying'*
This is me getting the gig ready, gathering ingredients…not shown is how I sprayed hot water from the instant tap all over the place, because it shot up inside the measuring cup & threatened to burn me…argh!!
Pictured here are some of my favourite things!! I couldn't live without my little juicer (regardless of the bit of extra clean up it always entails) Annnnd, last but not least my newest addition - the hand dandy little zester. The best tool ever for grating in fresh garlic & zesting citrus. Caution: very sharp!!
You do not need a Vita-mix blender to make soup - I mean, if one showed up wrapped in a pretty bow for me on my birthday, I wouldn't complain, but my ol' Black & Decker faithful, does the job just fine…You do need a kitchen towel for this process - be very careful!!
Note to self (& you!) Always clean up as you go…I dishwasher EVERYTHING that I can, but sharp blades do not like the dishwasher & some lids are just cumbersome!
And drum roll please…wallah…lunch is served!! Super Soup...
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