I made this for Christmas, but in the "trial" run, I found it VERY bland. So, I added bacon, chicken stock, cooking sherry, chilli powder and cream. My mom had 2 bowls lol ... I've adjusted the recipe to what I did.
Ingredients
- 6 rashers of bacon, sliced into small pieces.
- 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds broccoli with stalks (3 large or 4 medium)
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
- 6 cups chicken stock
- a few splashes of cooking sherry
- chilli powder (to taste)
- different cheeses (including lactose-free), added by each guest to their bowl
- Cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a towel-lined plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir to combine, then cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice off and discard the rough bottom ends of broccoli stalks. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough outer skin on the stalks, then discard those bits. Slice the stalks off and cut them into pieces about 1 to 2-inches big.
- Add the chunks of broccoli stalk and potato to the pot and stir. Pour in 6 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
- Simmer until the broccoli stalks and potatoes are tender throughout and easily split apart when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes.
- You can use an immersion blender (it just won’t be aslusciously creamy).
- Add the sherry and chilli (cayenne) powder to taste. Add a few splashes of cream to bring it all together.
- Divide the soup into bowls and let guests add their own cheese to their bowls. For fun - provide different cheeses.
