Simple Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

Ingredients

4 slices bread, toasted

4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 quart chicken stock

2 heads broccoli, florets separated and stems chopped

⅓ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Directions

Step 1

Top each toast slice with Cheddar cheese. Melt cheese with a kitchen torch until bubbling and golden, 30 seconds. (See footnote for broiler instructions.)

Step 2

Melt butter in a pot over high heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot butter until fragrant and sizzling, about 15 seconds. Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir broccoli into stock, pushing broccoli down into liquid; return to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Step 3

Puree broccoli mixture using an immersion blender until soup is smooth.

Step 4

Stir cream, cayenne pepper, and salt into soup; puree with immersion blender again until smooth, about 30 seconds. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese toast.

Cook's Notes:

If you don’t have a kitchen torch you can melt the cheese onto the toast in your oven’s broiler.

If you don’t have an immersion blender you can puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender.

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