Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Name: Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 2 pounds, broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 1 , medium onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup); 2 , medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 1 1/2 teaspoons, dry mustard powder; pinch, cayenne pepper; , Table salt; 3–4 cups, water; 1/4 teaspoon, baking soda; 2 cups, low-sodium chicken broth (see note); 2 ounces, baby spinach (2 loosely packed cups); 3 ounces, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup); 1 1/2 ounces, Parmesan cheese, grated fine (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving; , Ground black pepper

162 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2011, America's Test Kitchen TV

When simply adding more broccoli didn’t generate enough vegetable flavor in our soup, we did some further research—and then threw out the rule book on vegetable cookery.

SERVES6 to 8

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Overcooking the broccoli in our Broccoli-Cheese Soup recipe coaxed all the flavor out of it. Adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water sped up the cooking process, and pureeing fresh baby spinach along with the other ingredients brig...

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