I made cream of broccoli soup (velouté de brocolis in French) as a cure for two of my girls’ aversion to broccoli. Much of the flavor of the broccoli is concealed by gooey cheese (I used French Chaumes cheese) and a drizzle of heavy cream for richness.
To make the soup, broccoli is first boiled and then blended with vegetable broth. To thicken the mixture, I made a roux, which is a combination of flour, butter and liquid. The result is a beautiful, bright green soup.
I let the kids dip bread into the soup, and they loved it! Now that broccoli doesn’t seem so awful to them, I can try and introduce it in other dishes. And of course, I’ll share them with you so you can trick your kids (big or small) into enjoying broccoli as well!
1. Info for Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 175 kcal
2. Ingredients for Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 2 pounds fresh broccoli florets and stems
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans vegetable broth, warm
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 8 ounces Chaume cheese (see tips), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (or milk)
3. Directions:
- In a small pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a platter.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low; you don’t want the butter to burn. Bring the heat back up to medium-high (the butter should be hot and golden) and immediately add the flour. Keep stirring with a whisk for approximately 2-3 minutes. The flour should absorb the butter instantly and form a paste. Stir well until incorporated and add the vegetable broth in 3 stages. Increase the heat while constantly stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the Chaumes cheese and reduce the heat to low. Season with nutmeg, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Let the sauce rest until it’s time to assemble the dish.
- Wash the broccoli and separate the florets from the stems.
- Bring 3 cups of water with the onions to a boil. Add the broccoli stems first, cook for 3 minutes in boiling water then add the broccoli florets and cook for another 15 minutes. Season with salt. Reserve a few florets for decoration later. Using a handheld blender, mix the broccoli. Add the roux, stirring constantly to the desired thickness. You might add more water (or broth) if you like it more soupy. Bring the heat back to a boil and add the heavy cream. Adjust seasoning.
- Garnish the soup with the reserved broccoli florets.
- Serve hot with jalapeño cheddar cheese bread rolls on the side.
- Bon appétit!
