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1
Sweat aromatic and make roux Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
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2
Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
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3
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute (the flour should not take on any color).
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4
Make veloute base Pour in stock, whisking to incorporate fully, and bring to a boil.
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5
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, whisking fairly often, to cook out raw flour taste and thicken the liquid (it should reach the consistency of heavy cream).
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6
Add base vegetable Add broccoli stems and season with salt and pepper.
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7
Return to a boil, stirring to combine, then add florets and return to a boil.
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8
Reduce heat and gently simmer until tender enough to mash with the back of a spoon, 10 to 20 minutes.
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9
Puree soup Working in batches (do not fill more than halfway), pour contents of pot into a blender and puree until smooth.
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10
(Alternatively, puree soup in a food mill, using either fine or coarse disk, a food processor, or with an immersion blender.)
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11
Pass soup through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing on solids with a flexible spatula to extract as much liquid as possible.
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12
Finish soup Set pot over low heat and whisk in cream, if using.
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13
(Thin with more stock or water, if necessary.)
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14
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
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15
Cream soups are best made just before serving, especially when using green vegetables, as the soup can lose some of its vibrant color.
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16
You can make the veloute (or bechamel) base the day before; let cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container.
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17
SWEAT ONION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ADDING 1 3/4 pounds cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (about 6 1/2 cups) after the onion is translucent; cook mushrooms until they soften and release liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring periodically.
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18
Then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pot so the brown bits dont burn.
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19
Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons dry sherry, cooking and scraping the brown bits from the bottom until the liquid has evaporated.
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20
Pour in stock (or milk), whisking until smooth, and proceed with recipe, simmering mushrooms until tender, about 15 minutes.
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21
Strain and finish as above (adding cream, if desired).
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22
(Serves 4 to 6.)
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23
SWEAT THE ONION AND MAKE the roux as described above, then make the veloute sauce base.
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24
Meanwhile, blanch spinach: Wash well and trim tough ends from 2 pounds spinach while bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
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25
Prepare an ice-water bath.
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26
Salt the boiling water generously and submerge all of the spinach.
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27
Blanch 30 seconds, just until wilted and bright green, then remove spinach with a spider or slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the ice-water bath to stop the cooking, stirring to cool more quickly.
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28
Squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove excess liquid.
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29
Puree spinach with the veloute base.
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30
Strain and finish soup as directed above (adding cream, if desired).
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31
(Serves 4 to 6.)
