cream of broccoli soup

A few months ago, a blog that I love (E Tells Tales) hosted a pen pal exchange. Anyone who so desired could give a little info about themselves, and then be matched up with a new friend. I was excited to do it, especially because I had been feeling a little disillusioned with how much of my interaction with friends was occurring online. It’s actually very refreshing to sit down and write a real letter to a real person! It’s even kind of fun that it takes a few weeks to get a letter back after I’ve sent one. It makes each letter feel more legitimate, somehow. My pen pal, Lexie, and I have a lot in common. We’re both Harry Potter freaks, both into nursing (she’s getting ready for nursing school and I’m an RN), and (best of all!) we both love to cook! With her last letter, she sent me the recipe for this cream of broccoli soup, and I couldn’t wait to try it.

I love that all the ingredients are simple things that I almost always have in the house, and it is so quick and easy to make. At the same time, the flavor is incredible! I served it with some artisan bread from my favorite grocery store (seriously, their bakery is amazing) and we couldn’t stop dipping chunks of crusty bread into our soup. The only change I made was to add a little cheese to the soup (because, you know, I’m like that).

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Lexie G.

2 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery
3 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 cups milk

Melt 2 T butter in a medium sized stock pot. Sauté onion and celery with butter until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover, and simmer ten minutes. Pour soup into blender (no more than halfway full!) or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. In a small (separate) saucepan, melt 3 T butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and milk. Stir until thick and bubbly and add to soup. Season as you like and serve!