National Soup Month: Broccoli and Cheese

Chef Michael Harr at Food, Wine and Co shared his recipe for Vegetarian Winter Broccoli Soup with Broccoli Floret Carpaccio, Asiago Cheese, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

Ingredients: yield 1.5 qt = 4 servings at = 6- 8oz.

Ingredients:

-          ¼ cup                    Olive oil

-          1 tsp                      Garlic crushed

-          1 cup                     Onions –julienne

-          ½ cup                    Shallots

-          ½ cup                    Celery –sliced

-          1 qt                        Vegetable Stock

-          3 cups                   Broccoli florets

-          To taste                 Salt

-          1/2 tsp                   white pepper

-          2 tbsp                    Fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-          ¼ cup                    Asiago Cheese, paper thin sliced on mandolin

-          ¼ cup                    Broccoli florets – paper thin sliced on mandolin

-          1 pinch                  Fleur de Sel

Instructions:

Heat a sauce pot to medium heat and add the garlic, shallots, onions and lightly sweat. Add the celery and cover to sweat once more on low heat. Deglaze with the vegetable stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook until all the vegetables are tender.  Once vegetables are tender, season the stock with salt and white pepper. Add the Broccoli florets and bring the stock to a boil and cover. Cook the broccoli florets until they are tender. Remove and place the soup in a bar blender and puree until creamy smooth.

Remove from the bar blender into a serving vessel. Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss the raw broccoli florets thinly sliced with the cheese, fleur de sel and olive oil. Place the soup in a bowl, garnish with the broccoli florets. You may also add croutons if you would like and dress them up by baking the cheese on them at 350f until golden brown and serving alongside the soup.