Broccoli Soup

I first made this soup for a Shea Center dinner. The Chef and I made it the day before and asked a co-worker to bring it to the party because there was no room in the refrigerator. The next day our co-worker stomped on the brakes to avoid a car on the way over and our soup went all over her car. We had to remake the soup as quickly as possible since we were already doing so many other dishes. But a lesson is always learned.... it doesn't matter what happens along the way as long as the dish hits the table.

This is a great soup for when your sick (like I am now), for a dinner party, or as a make ahead dish. As long as you like broccoli you'll like this dish because it's simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 Large head of broccoli- cut into florets
about 4 shallots (could use onions but shallots are much better)
1 Tbsp. butter
4-6 cups chicken stock
1 cup or container of creme fraiche. this is the creamy element in the dish (see note)

Directions:
1. Peel and thinly slice shallots. place into a large pan over medium heat with butter. Allow to cook about 15 minutes or until shallots are caramelized.

2. Add broccoli to pan and allow to cook another 4-5 minutes.

3. Add chicken stock to cover about 3/4 of the broccoli. Cover pan and allow to cook 10 to 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

4. Remove pan from heat and puree in a blender. (put a dish towel over lid of blender because hot liquids have a tendency to explode in the blender)

5. Return soup to pan and stir in creamy element of soup.

6. Now is a good time to taste. This is the time to season with salt and pepper. Go easy on salt because most chicken stocks are salty.

6. If you want a little extra kick you can add a few dabs of hot sauce or a pinch of paprika or red chili flakes. A little goes a long way!

7. For a nice presentation, put a dollop of the creamy element into each bowl of soup and swirl around in a circular motion with a toothpick.


NOTE: substitutions for creamy element in soup if you don't want to buy or can't find creme fraiche: marscapone cheese, heavy cream, half and half. you can always use a combination of these as well. These will all change the texture and the flavor of the soup slightly but since broccoli is the star, it'll be ok.

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