Karl’s Cream of Broccoli Soup au Gratin

I am making Beef Bourguignon this Sunday and I was thinking about a vegetable side. I have done green beans to death and I am sure that my family would like something  a little different. I thought about steams broccoli with a cheese sauce, but fussing with making a sauce at the very end of the cooking time gets a bit hectic. Then I thought, “Why not make it a soup?”

Note: I thought that a creamy soup like this could use some crunch. I served Pepper Thyme Crackers on the side for my diners to crumble into their soup. Everyone thought it was a good idea.

After Dinner Note: This dish turned out very successfully. Everyone loved it.

Karl’s Cream of Broccoli Soup au Gratin

Ingredients

2 Tbs. butter
½ cup yellow onion, diced
½ cup carrot, shredded
½ cup celery, diced
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, crushed

½ cup potato, diced
1 lb. broccoli crowns, coarsely chopped
2 cans low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. summer savory
½ tsp. white pepper

½ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
½± cup half and half cream

¼ cup grape tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Add the butter to a soup pot over medium high heat.

2. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the salt until soft, about five minutes.

3. Pull the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the garlic to the hole in the center.

4. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about one minute, and mix it into the other vegetables.

5. Add the potatoes, broccoli and broth and bring the pot to a boil.

Note: The potatoes serve to thicken the soup after it is blended.

6. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes and broccoli are well cooked.

7. Transfer the soup to a standing blender and process until smooth.

Tip: If you prefer a chunkier soup, set aside some of the broccoli before you process the rest of the soup.

8. Return the soup to the pot, over a medium heat, and add the savory and pepper.

9. When the soup is hot again, stir in most of the cheese.

Tip: Reserve some cheese for the garnish.

10. When the cheese is fully incorporated into the soup, remove the pot from the heat.

11. Stir in the cream until the soup reaches your desired consistency.

Tip: If the soup seems thin add a little less, but if it seems too thick add a bit more.

12. Serve in individual bowls garnished with the rest of the cheese and the tomatoes.