THIS SOUP IS MADE ALMOST ENTIRELY OF BROCCOLI. THE CHARGRILLED PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI ADDS A NICE CONTRAST AND A SMOKY EDGE TO THE FRESH SOUP.
Ingredients
- 3 Heads of broccoli
- 25 Purple sprouting spears
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Stick of celery
- 20g Butter
- 1 ½l Vegetable stock or water
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt - Fresh black pepper
How to cook Broccoli Soup With Chargrilled Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Trim any large leaves from the purple sprouting broccoli and keep the stems nice and long. Cook them for 3 minutes in a large pan of salted boiling water. Remove and plunge them into a large bowl of iced water to arrest the cooking. Once cooled, drain the broccoli and allow to dry on a clean kitchen cloth.
Put the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 litre of the stock or water and bring to the boil. Heat up a griddle pan or oven grill for the purple sprouting.
Meanwhile, using a small knife, cut the florets off each broccoli stalk [keep the stalks for another purpose, eg. peeled, blanched and grilled with a lamb dish]. Add the florets to the boiling stock and cook until just cooked [about 4-6 minutes] and still bright green. While the broccoli is cooking, place the purple sprouting in a bowl, lightly coat with olive oil and season. Place on the griddle or under the grill and allow to char lightly. Remove the broccoli and stock from heat and blend with a stick blender as quickly as possible. Pass through a sieve, check the seasoning and pour into individual bowls. Garnish each soup with the purple sprouting and some olive oil. If the soup is too thick add some of the remaining stock (warm) to let it down to the consistency you like.
[This soup can be made in advance; in that case pass the hot soup into a wide shallow tray and place in a fridge to cool so that it retains its vivid colour. Reheat without boiling to serve.]
