Winter chills call for comfort in the form of warm, hearty foods, and what could be more comforting than a bowl of creamy broccoli and Stilton soup? Not only is this soup deliciously rich and satisfying, but it is also fairly simple to make and packs a punch in terms of nutrients. So let’s dive into the method to create this culinary hug in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 leek, cleaned and finely sliced
- 1 potato, diced
- 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 head of broccoli, roughly chopped (including the stalk)
- 140g of Stilton cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A splash of cream (optional)
Instructions
- Start by preparing your vegetables. Make sure all are washed, peeled, and chopped as stated above. This helps to cook everything evenly and allows the flavors to meld together perfectly.
- Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pan. Once hot, add the chopped onion, celery, and leek. Fry them gently until they’re softened but not colored, which should take about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the diced potato and the broccoli stalks to the pan (save the florets for later) and stir them in with the softened onions, celery, and leek. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle boil. Then set the time to 30 minutes high pressure natural release.
- Add the broccoli florets to the soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until they are just tender. Keeping the cooking time short at this stage ensures that the florets keep their vibrant colour and some texture.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender to puree it—just be cautious with the hot liquid.
- Now, stir in the crumbled Stilton cheese, allowing it to melt into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt as Stilton is quite a salty cheese.
- If desired, add a splash of cream for added richness. Do this off the heat to avoid curdling.
- Serve the soup hot, with a sprinkle of crumbled Stilton and cracked black pepper on top, and perhaps a warm crusty bread on the side for the perfect winter warmer.
More pressure cooker recipes at airandpressure.com