Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup

Cut the broccoli into equal sized florets and boil in the chicken stock for about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the blender together with half of the stock (using all will be too watery) and give it a quick whiz. Season with salt and pepper and pour into serving bowls. Crumble some Gorgonzola on top and serve with crusty bread (and with some garlic butter if you happen to have some lying around in the fridge).

This will make a rather thin and watery soup as no ingredients with binders are used. However, adding a potato or two in the pot when boiling will increase the preparation time by approximately 10 minutes and will make a much more creamy soup. A few tablespoons of heavy cream will make it even more velvety, though probably a little less healthy.

The cheese used in this soup entirely depends on what appeals to you. If the idea of a strong and very flavorsome Roquefort does not seem very attractive then a lighter and softer Gorgonzola will go nicely with it. I prefer to use stronger cheese when potatoes are added to the soup, and Gorgonzola with pure broccoli.