Broccoli & Gorgonzola Soup

I have to be honest, there are just some veggies I don't dig so much.  They all seem to fall into the same family of cruciferous vegetables: Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli.  I think it may be one of those childhood things - my Irish grandma was a wonderful baker, but when it came to cooking, her one big move was boiling.  She boiled veggies to the point where I wasn't even sure what I was eating.

So it wasn't until recently that I decided to find ways to prepare those veggies in a way that I would enjoy.  Roasting is a great way to do this.  Roasted Brussels sprouts with a little olive oil, salt & pepper is now a fave of mine.  Toss a little pancetta on top and it's hard to resist.  Roasted cauliflower with oil and curry powder takes it to a whole new level.  And then there's this broccoli soup....

I love it because you need very few ingredients - broccoli, onion, potato, garlic, broth and cheese (and many of them you probably already have at home). And they produce such great flavor that when we made it in one of my cooking classes last week, everybody went back for seconds!

Like most of my soups, I start with sautéing onions in olive oil and then add a little garlic once the onions are soft.  With this soup, I also added a chopped Yukon gold potato - this helps make the soup nice and creamy.  The potato helps me avoid adding cream since I'm going to add a big hit of Gorgonzola at the end, but if you're feeling decadent, you can add some cream instead.

Next, I add the broccoli florets - the smaller you cut them, the faster your soup will be ready to puree.  Cover the broccoli with chicken or vegetable broth - if you want to keep it vegetarian, use vegetable broth, but I find that chicken broth give the soup the little bit of fat that makes the flavor pop.

After it simmers for about 15-20 minutes, puree it in a blender. Remember that when you're pureeing something hot, you want to take the little insert out of the top and loosely cover with a clean towel, so the top doesn't explode and you end up with more soup on your ceiling than in your bowl!   Here's my new favorite tip, when you think your soup is smooth enough, keep going; give it another minute.  This is what gives it a velvety smooth texture.  Then return the soup to the pot and stir in your Gorgonzola (or Stilton or blue, whatever you like).  Taste it before seasoning - the cheese adds salt, so you may find that you don't need much more salt.  I usually end up adding a good healthy pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon).  We made wild mushroom crostini to go along with it, but even a warm sourdough for dunking works.  I think you might go back for seconds, too.....

Broccoli & Gorgonzola Soup  

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 ½ lbs broccoli, cut into florets

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 ounces Gorgonzola

Salt & pepper to taste

·         Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and potato, and sauté 8-10 minutes until softened.

·         Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

·         Add broccoli and cook 5 minutes.

·         Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

·         Transfer soup in batches to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

·         Return to pot and stir in cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Leave me a comment and tell me....what is your favorite winter soup????

Cook Happy!

Velvety Mushroom Soup

I always crave soup this time of year...the weather is chilly, and a nice bowl of hot soup warms me up and just hits the spot.  I've been making a lot of butternut squash variations, spicy pumpkin and hearty chili.  I was looking for something new to try.

I'm in love with a book I "borrowed" from my sister (you have to actually give it back for it to be considered borrowing, and I'm not sure I'm there just yet!).  It's called Fresh Happy Tasty, by Jane Coxwell.  She was the personal chef to Diane Von Furstenberg, and I share her approach to cooking: real food, fresh ingredients, simple preparation.

While reading it cover to cover, I spied a mushroom soup recipe that was described so beautifully that I knew I had to try it.  I made just a couple changes (I added some goat yogurt, used a large shallot instead of red onion and added a little more oil when sautéing the veggies), but either way, it's so perfect and simple that I wanted to share it with you.

I was first struck by the fact that she broiled the mushrooms; this brings out all their warm, earthy flavor.  I usually sauté my veggies when I make soup, but I was excited to try this method.  Toss a pound of sliced mushrooms with some olive oil, fresh thyme leaves and sea salt (Jane loves Maldon sea salt, and I do too - its large flakes give wonderful flavor).

Lay the mushrooms out on a baking sheet and broil for about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned, being careful not to burn them.

When mushrooms are done, place in a medium saucepan with any of the juice from the pan and a little olive oil.  Add chopped shallots (or red onion) and a few cloves of garlic.  Saute until the shallot is softened, stirring occasionally so garlic doesn't burn.  As far as chopping goes, you're going to puree this, so you can do a bit of a large chop, so nothing burns.

When shallots are soft, add enough broth to cover.  I used 2 1/2  cups of chicken broth (you can keep it vegetarian by using vegetable broth).  I ended up adding another 1/4 cup when I pureed it to get the consistency I liked.  Bring this to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and puree for at least 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth.  If patience is not your strong suit (like me), you're probably used to just blending it until everything is combined.  But trust me on this one....let it go for a few minutes and it becomes so silky and delicious.  Jane says about most of her pureed soups, "when you think it's smooth enough, blend even more."  She's absolutely right!

Now this is where I like to play, and encourage people in my cooking classes to taste and balance their flavors.   A soup or sauce is a great place to start learning about adding elements to create the perfect taste.  You can see what I added below, but start playing this little game with yourself: taste the soup, and then add a pinch of salt.  Taste it again and see how the flavors have woken up.  Try a little acid - vinegar, citrus juice, yogurt - and see what that does to the flavors.  If you're nervous about ruining a whole pot of your soup, put a little into a small bowl and play with just that amount.  When you've figured out your secret formula, then you can add it to the pot.

I added goat yogurt (has a nice tanginess about it, and is tolerated by most people with lactose issues), some lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  And viola!  A little bit of sourdough and I was in heaven.  A perfect lunch to get me ready for wrapping Christmas gifts!  Speaking of, this would be a nice addition to your usual Christmas Eve dinner - maybe little mushroom soup shooters to start the meal.....

Velvety Mushroom Soup
Serves 2-3

1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 1/2 cup chicken broth, plus extra for desired consistency during puree
1 tablespoon plain goat yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Goat yogurt and thyme leaves to garnish

• Preheat broiler
• Toss mushrooms, thyme, salt and 1/4 cup olive oil in a large bowl.
• Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes until browned, being careful not to burn.
• Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and any of their juices from the pan, shallot and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add 2 1/2 cups broth, or enough to cover mushrooms.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Transfer to blender, add goat yogurt and lemon juice and puree 2-3 minutes until velvety smooth, adding more broth if needed to reach desired consistency.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a couple small thyme sprigs.