Karl’s Cream of Broccoli Soup

My son-in-law is on a low starch diet, so it is a challenge to come up with recipes that fit his desires. I decided that a cream of broccoli soup would be the thing. Looking on-line for ideas showed me that most of the recipes included some form of starch—flour, potatoes, corn starch, beans, and even nuts. For this recipe I did my usual, one ingredient from this recipe, another ingredient from that recipe to make something new and different.

Note: I have done a cream of broccoli soup before, but—for me—cooking is all about making something different with mostly the same ingredients. “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”—Spock.

Karl’s Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
½ tsp. Kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, sliced
½ Tbs. tomato paste

2 cans low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb. broccoli
1 Tbs. basil
1 tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. black pepper
pinch cayenne

1 tsp. chervil leaf
½± cup half and half cream

1 Tbs. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

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

2. Sauté the onion 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. Pull the vegetables to the sides of the pot again and add the paste to the hole in the center.

6. Sauté the paste until it starts to darken, about 1-2 minutes, and add the broth.

7. Add the broccoli, herbs and pepper to the soup.

8. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot.

9. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the broccoli is well cooked.

10. 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.

11. Return the soup to the pot, over a medium heat.

12. When the soup is hot, remove the pot from the heat.

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

Note: There are no starch “thickeners” in this soup, bit with enough broccoli it is still fairly thick.

14. Serve in individual bowls garnished with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.