The Best Creamy Shrimp Bisque Recipe
Using leftover holiday Stilton, British Broccoli Stilton Soup is rich but simple. This midweek meal with local blue cheese may be the best broccoli cheese soup!
– 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, weighed after trimming away most (but not all) of the large stalk – 2 Tbsp butter – 2 shallots peeled and finely chopped – 1 Tbsp dry Sherry (totally optional) – 30 ounces (2 cans) chicken stock or vegetable stock – 1 cup half and half (you can mix whole milk with cream) – 200 grams Stilton or other blue cheese (I used Roth Buttermilk Blue) GARNISH – broccoli floret crumble – blue cheese crumble – ground nutmeg or black pepper
Cut broccoli upper stalks into 1-inch chunks. Chop florets too. Save individually. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium heat and sauté onions until tender.
Put chopped broccoli stems in the saucepan. Add sherry now if using. Add chicken stock and boil. To tenderise the stalks, cook gently for a few minutes.
Add broccoli florets and boil again, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and boil broccoli until tender. Check often with a knife or taste.
It will only take a short time. Note: Don't cook the broccoli for too long; I like it to stay bright and fresh, so take it off the heat as soon as it's soft.
After the soup has cooled down for a while, use a big food processor or blender to puree it in batches. Blend the soup until it's the way you like it.
Leave some texture or make it smooth. Use caution when pureeing hot liquids. Ensure your lid is secure. Pour pureed soup back into the soup pot after cleaning.
Mix in half-and-half and shredded cheese. Over medium-low heat, reheat soup and melt cheese. Taste and add salt as desired.
Serve heated with cheese crumbles and broccoli florets. I sprinkle fresh grated nutmeg and black pepper.