Broccoli and Cheese Soup

When I was 6 or 7, I remember my mother taking my brothers and me to the Galleria in White Plains. J.C. Penney was our spot at the mall, and we would get new pairs of jeans and our pictures taken at Penney's photo studio. Pictures and shopping were followed by a visit to the food court. I loved the food court. My brothers always went for a slice of pizza at Sbarro, but my mom and I went to the vendor who served up fluffy baked potatoes smothered in broccoli and cheese. It was an absurd amount of food for a child but I ate the whole thing. My mom did too. My brothers looked on with a bit of disgust. I'm sure they thought we were out of minds to pass on a slice of pizza for a meal that involved broccoli. Not sure what happened to the potato vendor at the mall. Guess it disappeared along with Orange Julius. Sadly, Sbarro is still kicking around.

Broccoli and cheese are a wonderful pairing. Not sophisticated per se, but it's homey and feels uniquely American, in that we love to throw cheese on our food whether it's hamburgers, french fries or apple pie. And broccoli can be off-putting, but cooked right and smothered in cheese, well, it's outrageous.

I came to writing this post via a recipe I found in the latest edition of Cook's Illustrated. I'm not even sure if I'd ever had a truly great version of broccoli and cheese soup before, but this version is definitely special. It's very rich and just perfect for a cold winter night.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lbs of broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (buy about 3 lbs at grocery story, by the time you cut them down and remove their woody stems you'll be left with 2 lbs)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dry mustard
a pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups chicken stock (homemade is always best)
2 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot melt butter, then add onions, broccoli, salt, dry mustard and cayenne. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then add 1 cup of water, and the baking soda. Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium. Stir once at the 10 minute mark.

Add chicken stock plus 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then add spinach. Cook for a few more minutes then turn off stove. Puree the soup in small batches in your blender, adding some of each cheese to each batch before you puree. Pour pureed soup into large bowl. Let cool for at least an hour before refrigerating. If you you plan to serve right away, simply bring soup back up to a simmer in the same pot you've been using.