Broccoli Cream Soup
Broccoli is used here to demonstrate the basic method for making a velouté-based soup; cauliflower can be easily substituted for the broccoli, resulting in a soup that is creamy in color and texture. Or use asparagus: Cut off the tips and blanch to use as a garnish, then trim the tough ends of the stalks before cutting into 1-inch pieces. Proceed with the recipe as written, cooking the stalks for 5 to 8 minutes. For any of these, simply replace the stock with an equal amount of whole milk to make a béchamel-based soup.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
For aromatic and roux
For velouté sauce base
For base vegetable
For finishing
Preparation
Step 1
Sweat aromatic and make roux Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute (the flour should not take on any color).
Step 2
Make velouté base Pour in stock, whisking to incorporate fully, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, whisking fairly often, to cook out raw flour taste and thicken the liquid (it should reach the consistency of heavy cream).
Step 3
Add base vegetable Add broccoli stems and season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil, stirring to combine, then add florets and return to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer until tender enough to mash with the back of a spoon, 10 to 20 minutes.
Step 4
Puree soup Working in batches (do not fill more than halfway), pour contents of pot into a blender and puree until smooth. (Alternatively, puree soup in a food mill, using either fine or coarse disk, a food processor, or with an immersion blender.) Pass soup through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing on solids with a flexible spatula to extract as much liquid as possible.
Step 5
Finish soup Set pot over low heat and whisk in cream, if using. (Thin with more stock or water, if necessary.) Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Cream soups are best made just before serving, especially when using green vegetables, as the soup can lose some of its vibrant color. You can make the velouté (or béchamel) base the day before; let cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container.
MUSHROOM CREAM SOUP
Step 6
SWEAT ONION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ADDING 1 3/4 pounds cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (about 6 1/2 cups) after the onion is translucent; cook mushrooms until they soften and release liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring periodically. Then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pot so the brown bits don’t burn. Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons dry sherry, cooking and scraping the brown bits from the bottom until the liquid has evaporated. Pour in stock (or milk), whisking until smooth, and proceed with recipe, simmering mushrooms until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain and finish as above (adding cream, if desired). Makes about 5 1/2 cups. (Serves 4 to 6.)
SPINACH CREAM SOUP
Step 7
SWEAT THE ONION AND MAKE the roux as described above, then make the velouté sauce base. Meanwhile, blanch spinach: Wash well and trim tough ends from 2 pounds spinach while bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Salt the boiling water generously and submerge all of the spinach. Blanch 30 seconds, just until wilted and bright green, then remove spinach with a spider or slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice-water bath to stop the cooking, stirring to cool more quickly. Squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove excess liquid. Puree spinach with the velouté base. Strain and finish soup as directed above (adding cream, if desired). (Serves 4 to 6.)
