(see my previous post featuring one of her creations).
Cold weather tasks such as cleaning up after an ice storm often work up an appetite. One of our favourite winter meals is Broccoli and Cauliflower soup. I made the first batch of the season this week. It’s quick and easy to make and is a meal in itself, so I thought I’d share it. I rarely ever cook from recipes, so consider the instructions to be more of a rough guideline (I make it a little differently each time). Friends have asked for this recipe (there isn’t one), and they’ve been able to recreate this soup from my vague notes, so this will probably work if you give it a try.
BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, broken into large florets
1 large bunch of broccoli, cut into large florets, slice stalks coarsely
3 or 4 medium cooking onions, sliced
2 or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated.
4 to 8 ounces of sharp old cheddar, grated
3 cups milk (can vary)
1 T. mustard seed
1 T. dill seed
1 t. mustard powder
freshly ground black pepper (a few dashes)
1 t. salt (to taste)
butter (or margarine)
flour (about 2 T.)
In a large pot, sauté sliced onions in about 1 T. butter. When they begin to brown, add about 4 cups water, mustard seed, dill seed, mustard powder, freshly ground black pepper, and about 1 t. salt. Add broccoli and allow water to heat to boiling. Add cauliflower on top of broccoli. Add grated potatoes. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Cover and allow to simmer at a low boil.
In a smaller pot, melt about 2 T. butter in pot. Add about 2 T. flour to make a roux (heat the flour and butter mixture while stirring until it seems “cooked” – don’t burn it!). Add about 3 cups of milk to this. I find it works best to heat the milk a little before adding to the roux as it will blend more smoothly. When the milk mixture thickens well, add the grated cheese. I happen to like plenty of sharp cheese in this soup, but you could use less cheese, medium cheese, or maybe some other kind of cheese that you prefer. Melt the cheese into the milk and stir until smooth.
When the vegetables are cooked enough, they should be tender, but not overcooked (unless you prefer them to be more cooked). Reduce the heat to low. Remove a cup or two of the liquid from the vegetables and add it to the milk mixture and stir over heat until blended. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the pot with the vegetables and stir gently over low heat until well blended and the mixture thickens slightly.
Variations: A friend has mentioned that he has varied my recipe a little by adding ground chili pepper seeds. I think he adds them alongside the mustard seed, etc…
Note: This soup seems to become even better after being in the fridge for a day or two (if it lasts that long). Just reheat over low heat, and serve.
