Favorite Garlic-Broccoli Soup
Submitted by embry
Garlic broccoli soup purées a whole dozen blanched garlic cloves with steamed broccoli into a creamy béchamel-based bowl. Rich, comforting, finished with half-and-half and paprika.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
15 minREADY
35 minTwelve cloves of garlic sounds aggressive until you understand the trick. Blanching the unpeeled cloves in boiling water for a minute mellows their raw sharpness into something sweet, nutty, and round, like a backyard onion’s well-behaved cousin. After that, every clove melts into the béchamel base without any of the harsh bite.
The sauce is classic French technique. Butter foams, garlic stirs in briefly, flour cooks into a quick blond roux, then milk goes in with a whisk to build a creamy base. The puréed broccoli folds into this thickened sauce, which is why this soup doesn’t water out the way pure-stock versions do.
Blanch the broccoli, don’t boil it to death. Drop florets and tender stem pieces into salted boiling water just until bright green and barely tender, around 4 minutes. Overcooked broccoli tastes like a school cafeteria.
Half-and-half goes in at the end, off the heat. It thins to the right consistency without curdling. Add by the tablespoon and stop when the soup pours smoothly.
Pro Tips
- The garlic blanching also makes peeling effortless. The skins slide right off after 60 seconds in hot water.
- For a deeper roasted flavor, oven-roast the garlic at 400°F (205°C) for 25 minutes wrapped in foil instead of blanching.
- Discard the very woody stem bottoms but keep the tender stem pieces. They have more flavor than the florets.
- Make this a day ahead. The recipe explicitly notes it’s better the second day, and that’s true.
Variations
- Add a cup of vegetable or chicken stock to the milk for a thinner, lighter soup.
- Stir in a half cup of grated sharp cheddar or Gruyère for a cheesier finish.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or a teaspoon of fresh thyme to the béchamel for additional depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Drop unpeeled garlic cloves into boiling water for one minute (30 seconds for small cloves); remove from water, peel, and mince.
Cut broccoli into buds and stems, discarding woody portions.
Cook in boiling water until tender; remove and drain.
Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan.
When butter starts to bubble, add garlic, stirring rapidly for a few seconds.
Quickly add flour, salt, and pepper.
Stir constantly for one minute.
Add milk and broth, stirring briskly with a wire whisk until sauce is thickened.
In a blender or food processor, purée broccoli with a little sauce, adding remaining sauce until all of broccoli is blended.
Correct seasonings to taste and thin with half-and- half to the desired consistency.
Serve sprinkled with Hungarian sweet paprika if desired.
NOTE: This rich and creamy soup has excellent garlic flavor.
It is better the second day and may be served cold as well as hot.
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