Cream of Broccoli Soup

We have a weekly produce box delivery. Every week we receive a box of organic vegetables and fruits. My challenges is to use the serendipitous contents of the box and turn it into good food.

Lucky for us, we're in California. There is nothing easier than eating fresh local peaches and strawberries as they are, or perhaps sliced and tossed with lemon juice and mint leaves. But when I've got two weeks of broccoli stacking up, it's time to bring out the blender.

I first made cream of broccoli soup out of my earliest cooking companion, the red-checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It became a family favorite.

Today's lunch was a bowl of soup with a swirl of olive oil, a few chives, and a chunk of baguette. A few croutons would not be out of place instead of the fresh bread.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1/2 medium onion, diced
2 heads of broccoli
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
Water or chicken stock to barely cover
1 TB chicken soup base or 1 bullion cube, if using water
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 cup milk, or to taste
1 TB olive oil, to swirl, optional
1 TB chopped fresh chives, optional

Prepare broccoli by peeling outer layer of any tough stems. Chop stems and heads into roughly 1-2 inch chunks.

Add butter and olive oil to large saucepan over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onions. Saute onion until translucent, and add chicken soup base or bullion cube, if using, ground ginger, and salt and pepper. Add broccoli, and water or chicken stock to barely cover. Cover with lid slightly askew and simmer until broccoli is very tender. You can check it with the point of a small knife. Broccoli is ready when the largest stem pieces yield easily to the knife point.

Let cool slightly. Puree in blender until smooth. Be careful that soup is not too hot. Keep the blender lid slightly ajar to let steam escape.

Return pureed soup to saucepan, and add milk. Heat gently over low heat. Bring soup to a low simmer, and taste for seasoning.

Serve with a swirl of olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh chives in each bowl.