I love broccoli. Sautéed, roasted, steamed, mashed, broccoli in all its forms is fine with me. This weekend at my local Farmers Market I was giddy to buy the first broccoli of the season, and it seemed like my farmer friend was pretty giddy to be selling it to me. I went home and made a delicious broccoli soup. Filling, nutritious, and so easy to make, what else could you ask for!?

Puree of Broccoli Soup: Serves 3

Ingredients: 2 heads of fresh, locally grown broccoli, 2 finely chopped shallots, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of grated cheese (jack or cheddar works best), salt and pepper, 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter.

In a medium-sized soup pot, sauté chopped shallots in 1 Tbsp of butter. Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop your broccoli. When the shallots are nice and golden brown, add the broccoli to the pot. Season with a little pinch of salt and pepper. Let the broccoli cook over medium heat a few minutes, give it a good stir, then add enough cold water for the broccoli to swim around in but not enough to cover it (adding the right amount of water to soup takes some practice). Cover your pot and leave your soup alone to simmer for about 12 minutes.

When you are able to easily pierce a broccoli stem with a knife, you are ready to puree your soup. If you have a stick (immersion) blender, that’s great. You can go ahead and puree your broccoli right in the pot. Otherwise, simply transfer the soup to a blender (you may need to do this in batches) and very carefully puree the soup, then return it to the pot. Add a little more salt and pepper, the grated cheese, and a Tbsp of butter. If your soup is too thick, add milk as needed. Stir your soup until all the cheese is melted and taste it to determine if you have added enough salt and pepper.

Serve with some crackers or fresh bread for dunking.

Easy weeknight dinners is published every Tuesday at noon.

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Jessica Alfreds

Jessica Alfreds is a Chef, Caterer, and Event Planner based in New York City. She is currently working on her first cookbook, teaching herself how to sew, and attempting to live a purposeful life. Jessica is a 3rd generation New Yorker and currently resides in the East Village. Visit jessicaalfreds.com.

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