Cream of Broccoli Soup

Broccoli soup has a special place in my heart. My fav broccoli soup is from the Panera Bread Restaurant in US. I used to enjoy it till I became lactose intolerant and cheese in the soup did not sit well in my stomach. My husband enjoyed it till we found out that it is not actually a veg soup. It has beef stock in it. To their credit, they have not marked it as Veg in their menu.. But inspite of all this (or should I say because of all this??) this is the best broccoli soup I have ever tasted.



Here is my version of the soup. No I have not tried to recreate their soup :-(

Ingredients

Onion 1
Potato 1
Broccoli 1 head
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Italian Seasoning 1/2 tsp
Milk/Cream 1/2 cup
Water or Stock 3 cups
Oil and salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Heat a little oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and potatoes. Cook for a few minutes.

2. Add 2 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes. I used just water.

3. When it is cooked, add chopped broccoli and wilt for a couple of minutes.

4. Switch off and cool. Grind in a mixie in batches. If you have an immersion grinder, just grind directly.

5. Transfer back to the pot. Add milk and another cup of water or stock (use only as required) to adjust the thickness.

6. Add salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes.

Enjoy with some crusty bread