broccoli soup

Aside from minestrone, broccoli soup is definitely up there on my top 3 list for soups. Broccoli is one of nature's super foods and it's packed with vitamin C, fiber, vitamin K and is low in calories. It's a shame that broccoli soup you see nowadays is ruined by heavy cream, processed cheese and other ingredients that ruin the health benefit of this amazing vegetable.

This Broccoli Soup is simple, quick, flavorful and takes literally minutes to make. It only contains 2 ingredients: broccoli and water.

Broccoli Soup
By Gordon Ramsay, Serves 4

Ingredients:
- Broccoli florets
- Water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Walnuts/Pecans for garnish*
- Goat cheese*

* - Optional

1) Go around the broccoli head and trim the florets off. You can steam the edible parts of the stem and add them to salads or sauté them in to your stir fry. Nothing should be wasted during this credit crunch.

2) Add salt to a boiling pot of water and put in your broccoli florets.

3) Add some more salt on top of the broccoli so it's seasoned at the bottom and top of the pot. Cover and cook for 4 - 4.5 minutes.

4) To see if cooked, get a butter knife and try to cut a piece of the stem off the floret in the pot. If it cuts quite easily, it's ready to be drained. Drain the broccoli and save the water from the pot. The broccoli should be darker green in color and the water should be slightly green, almost like a broccoli stock.

5) Add the broccoli to a mixer and add a little bit of the reserved broccoli water (amount will vary depending on how much broccolis you're using). Blitz until the mixture is well incorporated. You want to get a nice creamy, almost purée like consistency. Add more water PRN (as needed) to achieve desired consistency.

6) Season w/ salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

The soup itself is great by itself but if you want to get a little more creative with it, you can add goat cheese (bleu, or anything strong and robust) and nuts. I put walnuts at the bottom of my plate and topped it off with goat cheese and pecans. Drizzle w/ olive oil to add gloss and serve warm.