Broccoli potato cheese soup

Broccoli and blue cheese soup is classic British cooking, and especially good broccoli potato cheese soup using up any leftover cheese from Christmas. Add the potato and broccoli stalk to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the stock and bay leaf. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, half cover the pan with a lid and bring to a very gentle simmer. Continue to simmer the soup for about 20 minutes until the potato and broccoli stalks are tender.

Remove the bay leaf and add the remaining chopped broccoli and milk to the pan. 5 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Add the cheddar, stir to combine and then blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed, before spooning into bowls and topping with crisp croûtons and crumbled blue cheese. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

Even my husband, who’s never been a big fan of broccoli, digs in to this creamy soup. It’s a perfect way to enjoy the produce from our vegetable garden. 4 cups milk, bouillon, salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add 1 finely chopped onion. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onion starts to catch. Add 1 sliced celery stick, 1 sliced leek, 1 diced medium potato and a knob of butter.

Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes then remove the lid. Pour in 1l of chicken or vegetable stock and add any chunky bits of stalk from 1 head of broccoli. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Add the rest of the roughly chopped broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in 140g crumbled stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve. RECIPE TIPSUSE A SOUP MAKERSave time and effort by placing all your ingredients in a soup maker and whizzing up a delicious soup in no time. DINNER PARTY TIPReserve an uncooked broccoli floret, cut it into small pieces and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Also reserve a small handful of crumbled cheese. Serve the soup in bowls, then scatter with crumbled cheese and broccoli for a stylish garnish.