BROCCOLI TOMATO SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add broccoli, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large cooking spoon, transfer broccoli mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat (don’t worry about any remaining broccoli bits). Add flour and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture has turned a pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in chicken broth until no lumps remain (it’ll thicken considerably at first), followed by half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese, nutmeg and all but 1 cup of the reserved broccoli mixture. 
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid has thickened and reduced by about 1/4 and the broccoli is completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Using a hand blender, purée the soup to desired consistency. (Some like to leave bits of broccoli in there. It is up to you how smooth or chunky the soup is.) Alternatively, transfer to a blender and purée to desired consistency.
• Season soup with salt and pepper, and divide among bowls. Top with remaining 1 cup broccoli, more Cheddar (if you like), and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Steps:

• Slice the florets from the stalks. Set the broccoli stalks aside and cut the florets into small bite-size pieces (watch our video for reference). Throw the florets into a bowl and set them aside for later.
• Grab the broccoli stalks and cut about 1-inch from the bottom of each stalk and discard it. Use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer layer of the stalks, and then slice the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large pot like a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it has melted, toss in the onion and garlic cloves. Cook, occasionally stirring until the onions are soft and smell sweet; about 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped broccoli stalks, potato, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, Dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for two minutes, and then add the bay leaf and four cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce to a low simmer. Cook, at a low simmer, until the broccoli and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in about half of the broccoli florets to the soup, cover with a lid, and cook until they turn bright green and are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Adding the florets in this step makes sure that our soup stays green.
• Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a blender, but be careful to blend the soup in batches, do not fill more than halfway, and hold the lid down firmly as you blend. Hot liquids can cause steam to build in the blender, and the top can pop off.
• Place the pot back onto the burner and heat over medium heat. Stir in the remaining broccoli florets, cover the pot again, and cook until they turn bright green and are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the half-and-half and cheese. When the cheese melts into the soup, taste and then adjust with additional salt and pepper to taste. For a pop of flavor, add a few dashes of fish sauce. Serve with chives scattered on top.