I used to love Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli and I genuinely thought it was tasty. Until I tried making my own from scratch. The real stuff was way way way better. I rarely, if ever, make soup from the canned stuff now.
I have a pretty good basic recipe that I’ve been using but I am always searching for ways to make it even better. So, when I saw Cook’s Illustrated Broccoli-Cheddar soup recipe in the March/April issue, I knew I could steal some of the tricks and use them to make my Cream of Broccoli recipe even more tasty.
The technique for extracting every last bit of flavour from the broccoli was so smart: using just a pinch of baking soda to break down the plant structure. And adding in spinach in the end was a nice touch and gave the soup that bright green vibrant, appetizing colour.
Two easy tricks, yet it made all the difference into creating this best-ever Cream of broccoli soup. So delicious!
Creamless Cream of Broccoli
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated March/April 2011
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound broccoli, rinsed and cut into small florets, stems sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt
- 2 – 3 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chicken stock, or vegetable stock (best homemade, if not try to choose a low-sodium variety)
- 1 – 2 ounce baby spinach (original recipe called for fresh spinach, but I used frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry)
- 3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
- Cream or milk, optional
Heat butter and olive oil in your biggest pot. Add onion and sauté it on medium heat until no longer translucent, about 2 – 3 minutes.
Add broccoli, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Sauté for about 6 – 7 minutes until fragrant and broccoli becomes a bright green colour. Add a cup of water and sprinkle in the baking soda. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and let simmer until broccoli becomes very tender, about 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When broccoli takes on unappealing olive green colour and literally breaks apart in the pot, it is then time to add in the chicken stock and add just enough water to cover the ingredients. Add spinach and bring the soup to a boil.
After it boils, remove the soup from heat and let it cool down slightly before blending it. Use a standing blender for a smoother texture (blend the soup in small batches to prevent spilling), or simply stick in an immersion blender into the soup pot and blend until smooth or leave it slightly chunky, up to you.
Return the soup to the pot and add in the cheese. Adjust the consistency by adding in cream or milk for a creamier texture or add water to thin out the soup if needed. Reheat gently until soup is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cheese, and/or salt and pepper. Enjoy!
I used to love Campbell’s Cream of Broccoli and I genuinely thought it was tasty. Until I tried making my own from scratch. The real stuff was way way way better. I rarely, if ever, make soup from the canned stuff now.
I have a pretty good basic recipe that I’ve been using but I am always searching for ways to make it even better. So, when I saw Cook’s Illustrated Broccoli-Cheddar soup recipe in the March/April issue, I knew I could steal some of the tricks and use them to make my Cream of Broccoli recipe even more tasty.
The technique for extracting every last bit of flavour from the broccoli was so smart: using just a pinch of baking soda to break down the plant structure. And adding in spinach in the end was a nice touch and gave the soup that bright green vibrant, appetizing colour.
Two easy tricks, yet it made all the difference into creating this best-ever Cream of broccoli soup. So delicious!
Creamless Cream of Broccoli
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated March/April 2011
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
Heat butter and olive oil in your biggest pot. Add onion and sauté it on medium heat until no longer translucent, about 2 – 3 minutes.
Add broccoli, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Sauté for about 6 – 7 minutes until fragrant and broccoli becomes a bright green colour. Add a cup of water and sprinkle in the baking soda. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and let simmer until broccoli becomes very tender, about 20 – 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When broccoli takes on unappealing olive green colour and literally breaks apart in the pot, it is then time to add in the chicken stock and add just enough water to cover the ingredients. Add spinach and bring the soup to a boil.
After it boils, remove the soup from heat and let it cool down slightly before blending it. Use a standing blender for a smoother texture (blend the soup in small batches to prevent spilling), or simply stick in an immersion blender into the soup pot and blend until smooth or leave it slightly chunky, up to you.
Return the soup to the pot and add in the cheese. Adjust the consistency by adding in cream or milk for a creamier texture or add water to thin out the soup if needed. Reheat gently until soup is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cheese, and/or salt and pepper. Enjoy!