I wish I had taken pictures, but this is all gone. We devoured it. It was one of the best soups I’ve ever made (not counting my world famous gumbo of course)

Amazing Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl AP flour
1 very large sweet yellow onion
4 parsnips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb broccoli
1 carton chicken stock
3 cups water
1/4 cup heavy cream (yes, the good stuff!)
4 oz sharp aged cheddar cheese
1 Tbl Lousiana hot sauce
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Rough chop the onion and parsnips, and saute with the garlic and a sprinkle of salt in the olive oil, in a large dutch oven or soup pot until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir constantly until you can’t see the flour anymore. Pour the stock and water over the veggies and bring to a boil. The parsnips should be slightly firm to a fork, but not rock hard. Clean and trim the broccoli into reasonable size pieces and toss in the pot. Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to the lowest possible simmer until everything is cooked tender.

Hit it with a stick blender or blend in 4 portions in your blender until it is fairly smooth. Add the cream, simmering on lowest possible heat all the time. Slice the cheese super thin, and put in a bit at a time, stirring until you can’t see any more cheese before adding the next bit.

Taste.

Add hot sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper as desired. Continue to let it simmer until you are ready to eat. Don’t let it come back to a boil though! It will break!

Serve with good bread.