Broccoli soup ala Avery Aames

Still cold? No. Me, either, but I love soup. I can drink it even on the warmest of days. There's something so comforting about it. Wrapping my hands around the bowl. Letting the steam waft over my face. Savoring the first bite as my mouth and tongue get used to the temperature and flavors.  I like soup all by itself or maybe with a hunk of bread. Most people like to add a salad or half a sandwich. Whatever your preference, enjoy!


I found a wonderful, light recipe for soup that included Gorgonzola cheese.  Because I'm in the middle of writing the 5th in the Cheese Shop Mystery series called THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT, I've got Roquefort on the brain. Gorgonzola is the Italian version of Roquefort.


HISTORY OF GORGONZOLA:

Gorgonzola is an area in the northern part of Italy, in the Milan area which is part of Lombardy. The residents of the area claim that farmers from their area created Gorgonzola cheese around 879.   This is under dispute by a couple of other towns that have the same geographic makeup. Do I care? Not really. It tastes good. Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese with quite a bite to it. It's made from raw milk (cow or goat, by the way).


Now, back to soup. Can a soup made with Gorgonzola cheese be light? Yes! I kid you not.


The trick to making soups with veggies  is to use a blender or food processor. But remember--and this is key to the way I like soup--reserve some big chunks of the veggies or starches so the soup isn't all pureed.


EASY BROCCOLI AND GORGONZOLA SOUP

Ingredients:

Serves 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (gluten free if needed)

½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (divide in half)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

¾ cup half-and-half

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, chopped, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the broccoli florets and broth and cook, covered, about 5 minutes. Remove about 1 cup of the florets and reserve.  

Add half of the cheese, the salt and pepper, and half-and-half to the pot. Stir. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. 

Divide the mixture among 4 bowls. Garnish each with reserved florets and some of the cheese.

Like I said, I like my soup with a hunk of bread. I made biscuits for this meal. Gluten-free, using a Pamela's mix. So easy. All it takes is some of the mix, butter, and milk. Twelve minutes later, light fluffy biscuits. They're perfect with soup.

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Daryl is what my husband actually calls me.

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Say cheese!

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