very green broccoli soup

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• soup:
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• gray salt
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 5 cups progresso® chicken broth
• 2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 cup whipping cream or buttermilk (if using buttermilk, use half the lemon peel)
• freshly ground pepper
• gremolata:
• 1/4 cup progresso® panko crispy bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Recipe

Preparation Time: 50 mins Ready Time: 50 mins


• cut broccoli florets from stems. peel tough outer skin from stems; trim off fibrous ends. cut stems into 1/2-inch pieces.
• in 4-quart dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted. add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown. stir in onion and celery; season with salt. reduce heat to medium-low; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
• meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together gremolata ingredients; set aside.
• stir thyme, broccoli stems and broth into soup. heat to boiling. cook uncovered over medium heat about 3 minutes. stir in broccoli florets; cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very tender. stir in spinach and lemon peel (spinach will wilt).
• in blender, cover and puree soup in small batches. (at this point, soup can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.) return soup to dutch oven; reheat over medium-low heat. stir in cream; season to taste with additional salt and the pepper.
• ladle soup into warm individual soup bowls. sprinkle 1 tablespoon gremolata each serving. pass remaining gremolata at table.