Broccoli Parmesan and Feta Soup

I served this Broccoli Parmesan and Feta Soup at our Christmas Eve dinner last year and it was an absolute winner. I wish I could take credit for this moreish soup but all the honour has to go to my friend Colleen Grove, also known as Browniegirl, food blogger extraordinaire, and organizer of the annual South African Food and Wine Bloggers Indaba or F.B.I.

The great thing about this soup, other than the fact that it tastes great, is that it freezes very well. I made a huge pot for Christmas and was quite happy to freeze half of it in individual portions and they are coming in quite handy now, during the cold spell in Taiwan. If you decide to freeze some, do so without adding the feta.

Broccoli Parmesan and Feta Soup with a splash of Savanna

Serves 4 as a main meal and about 6 to 8 as a starter


Ingredients:

• a heaped Tbsp of butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 750g Broccoli - rinsed and broken into pieces. I peel and use the stems, too.
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped.
• a splash of Savanna Dry Cider (optional)
• 1 heaped tsp mixed herbs (or some fresh thyme, if you have)
• 1.5 litre hot stock. I used pork rib, but you can use any you like.
• 500 ml milk
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 20 g freshly grated Parmesan

Garnish:

• 1 Tbsp Feta per serving, crumbled
• Croutons (I get mine from Carrefour or you can make your own)
• Parsley, finely chopped (I used finely chopped coriander and it was goood!)

Method:

• Melt the oil and butter in a deep saucepan.
• Add the onion and herbs and saute over medium heat until soft and glossy, but before it starts to colour.
• Add the broccoli, apple and garlic and give it a good stir.
• Add the splash of Savanna, if using. Cover the saucepan, lower the heat and let it steam for about 10 minutes.
• Add the stock, milk, nutmeg and pepper, and bring it back to a boil.
• Lower the heat again, and let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes - until the stems are soft. (Cover, but at an angle - you don't want it to boil over!)
• Remove saucepan from the heat and use a stick blender to liquidize the soup in the saucepan. If you don't have one, you can also do it in a jug-type (think smoothie) blender. Just remember to let it cool a bit first, only fill halfway and cover with a tea towel to prevent nasty burns.
• Return the soup to a low heat and add the grated Parmesan. Don't let it boil!
• Serve with crumbled feta, croutons and some chopped parsley.

You will notice that there is no salt added in the recipe. The stock and feta will add salt, but you can always let each person adjust the seasoning to their taste, after adding the feta.


Thank you Browniegirl for this recipe. This is quite honestly the best broccoli soup I have ever eaten!