It’s wintertime. And we all know what that means: it’s time to break out the soup recipes! One of Phillip Wiglesworth’s favorite soups is cream of broccoli, so he decided to share this quick and easy recipe with you just in time for the holidays.
Selecting Onions for the Soup
The recipe simply calls for onions. But what type of onion works best for this? Phillip Wiglesworth recommends using white onions for broccoli cream soup, because they have a sweeter taste. This way, you don’t overpower the broccoli or the broth, and instead compliment them with a subtler hint of onion. However, if you prefer a stronger onion taste, you can always substitute yellow onions or shallots. Whatever floats your boat.
Blending the Broccoli Soup Mixture
Since this recipe makes quite a bit of soup, you may have to process the soup mixture in parts. You can use a regular blender or a food processor. You can also use a hand-held immersion blender. This is Phillip Wiglesworth’s favorite, since it blends the broccoli well enough that you don’t get big chunks in the creamy broth, but you still get a few pieces to give the soup some substance.
More Experimenting
Though this recipe doesn’t call for any cheese, you can garnish your soup with whatever cheese you like best. A couple great additions to this soup are sharp/mild cheddar, mozzarella, and/or a bit of goat cheese. You can also consider some other herbs and spices to add to the soup, either before you blend it, or just before serving. For example, you could try some garlic powder (or sub out garlic salt for regular salt). You could also add in some oregano or basil to give your soup an earthy feel. Whatever you do, have fun with it! Experiment until you find a combination you like best.
Really in a soup kind of mood? Try Phillip Wiglesworth’s other soup recipes.
Perfect for those cold days when you need to warm up. Super easy to make, too!
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 cups chopped onions
- 1 lb fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 6 Tbsp cream cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
- thinly sliced green onions
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Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onions should be translucent.
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Add broccoli and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
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Working in batches, process the mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan and heat over medium heat.
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Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Stir in milk, salt, and red pepper. Cook until heated through. Then, garnish with green onions and serve.
