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If like me you’re trying to supersize your plant portions, this soup boasts at least 10 different plants, headed up by the powerhouse of all veggies – broccoli. 

This is a quick to prepare soup, where the addition of the stilton rounds out the flavours giving a lovely warming soup to which you can add a host of vegetables. Looking to up the phytonutrient content, I served it with a topping of toasted, roughly chopped hazelnuts and almonds – preferably un-blanched as much of the phytonutrient content of the nuts is found in the skin. 

Serves 4-6 

All you need: 

  • 2 medium heads of broccoli 
  • 1 medium potato 
  • 1 ‘potato sized’ piece of swede (or a second potato) 
  • 2 sticks celery 
  • 1 carrot 
  • 1 large onion 
  • 2-3 cloves garlic 
  • olive oil 
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 750ml vegetable stock or chicken broth 
  • 150g stilton 

For the topping: 

  • A small handful of hazelnuts and almonds 

All you do: 

  1. Finely slice the onion and fry in the base of a large saucepan in a good glug of olive oil until the onion has softened and is translucent 
  2. Add the celery and carrot, both chopped into small cubes/slices (about 1/2cm), and fry for an additional 5-10 minutes. Add the finely chopped/minced garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes 
  3. Add the finely cubed (about 1/2 cm) potato and swede, and fry for a further 5-10 minutes.  
  4. Chop the heads off the broccoli and chop the stalks into 1/2-1cm dice. Add the stalks to the saucepan. 
  5. Add 750ml of vegetable stock or chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until the potato and swede are tender (this may take a little longer depending on the size of your dice 
  6. Place the broccoli florets into the other ingredients (It’s fine if they are just sitting on top of the soup), and with the lid of the saucepan on, cook/steam for 5 minutes until they are just tender. Don’t overcook the broccoli or you will lose some of the vibrant green colour 
  7. Season to taste – remember you will be adding a salty cheese. Blend until smooth and add most of the crumbled stilton (keeping some back to serve) and blend. Check the seasoning. 
  8. For the topping – toast the hazelnuts and almonds in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes until just toasted/taking on some colour. Chop roughly and crumble the remaining stilton. 
  9. Serve the soup piping hot with a topping of crumbled stilton and toasted nuts 

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