A classic British recipe showcasing the King of Cheeses, broccoli and Stilton soup is rich and savoury. Often served at winter celebration meals, it makes a filling and delicious lunch all year round.
Broccoli and Stilton soup recipe
Broccoli and Stilton soup is one of those soup recipes everyone needs in their repertoire. Rich, warming and intensely flavoured, it makes a nutritious and satisfying meal all by itself with sharp creamy cheese balanced by the faintly bitter green broccoli.
See also
- Stilton sauce for steak – possibly the very best way to serve steak!
- For more soup with broccoli try this easy broccoli and cauliflower soup
For many of us, this soup is associated with Christmas, as Stilton cheese has long been regarded as a Christmas treat. It certainly makes a handsome starter, full of flavour and striking in colour.
We often find ourselves with a large piece of Stilton at Christmas and this recipe is a great way to use up any leftovers. There is no need to confine your broccoli and Stilton soup to the winter months, however.
With both sprouting broccoli and calabrese available all year round these days, you can enjoy this little luxury at any time. And when you consider the reputation of broccoli as something of a superfood, you probably should!
This soup is very easy to make. The crucial points to remember are that you should cook thick stems of broccoli for longer than the florets, and melt the cheese by stirring it into the soup without cooking it. Stick to these rules and you will make beautiful broccoli and Stilton soup every time.
Why make broccoli and Stilton soup
- it’s full of flavour
- effortless but great for entertaining
- a great way to eat your greens
- use up leftover cheese
- flexible recipe allows you to vary the quantities
Broccoli and Stilton soup ingredients
- Broccoli – a large head of calabrese is easier to deal with than sprouting broccoli, which often has purple florets and thus won’t produce such a pleasing green colour. Tenderstem is delicious but far too expensive to use in soup.
- Onion – one medium to large – this can be any type of onion – even a couple of shallots
- Celery – a couple of sticks/ribs
- Potato – for a thicker soup. You can vary the proportions in this Stilton and broccoli soup without too much trouble but don’t go too heavy on the potato, as this may spoil the texture.
- Butter and olive oil – I always use an extra virgin olive oil that is unrefined. The butter adds flavour.
- Stock – vegetable or chicken stock
- Stilton cheese – deliciously blue, but you can use the white version too. Roquefort or Gorgonzola would work too.
What is Stilton?
Stilton cheese will be familiar to everyone in the UK but perhaps not quite so much elsewhere. This classic blue-veined creamy-white cheese is by far the most famous of British blue cheeses and has long been highly prized.
Stilton cheese, or British Parmesan, as it is sometimes called, is generally preferred to all other cheeses by those whose authority few will dispute. Those made in May or June are usually served at Christmas; or, to be in prime order, should be kept from 10 to 12 months, or even longer.
Mrs Beeton
The ‘British Parmesan’ label was mentioned much earlier by Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe Moll Flanders, following his tour of England in the early 18th century.
The comparison with Parmesan was probably a comment on value rather than anything else. A really good wheel of cheese was expensive and a status symbol, so much so that another great man of letters, Samuel Pepys, famously buried his Parmesan to keep it safe before fleeing the Great Fire of London of 1666.
The high value put on a good cheese may be a clue as to why broccoli and Stilton soup recipes seems to be a 20th century invention. A good cheese was a luxury and only the well pared rinds were likely to find their way into soups and stews.
Strong in flavour and creamy in texture but not as meltingly soft as some of the stickier French blues, it is absolutely delicious. Depending on the dairy, Stilton is often suitable for vegetarians and the mainstream supermarkets tend to sell these, which is always useful to know.
Today, the cheese enjoys a Protected Designation of Origin status that ironically includes cheese made in traditional dairies in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, but not from the village of Stilton for which it is named. Stilton lies within modern Cambridgeshire.
How to make broccoli and Stilton soup – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Prepare the vegetables: As this is going to be a blended soup you do not need to be too meticulous
- Onion – peel and chop
- Celery – trim and chop
- Broccoli – Chop thicker stems, cutting off any bits that are tough or discoloured, and separate the florets, breaking into bite sized pieces.
- Potato – Chop into 2 cm ish pieces. There is no need to peel if the skin is thin and in good condition.
Step Two – Melt the butter into the olive oil in the pan and gently sweat the onion and celery over a low heat, stirring to avoid catching. They should become soft and tender without colouring. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
Step Three – Add the broccoli stems, potato and three quarters of the stock to the pan, leaving the florets for later. Simmer for 12–15 minutes until the vegetables soften and starting to break down.
Step Four – Add the broccoli florets to the pan along with another splash of stock if it looks as though you need more liquid. Do not add so much that they are completely covered – this will be too much and you will get a watery soup.
Cover with the lid and simmer for five minutes until cooked.
Step Five – Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup until smooth. If needed add a little more liquid or some milk.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
A cheap stick/immersion blender is the simplest and best way to blend soup. I have had mine for years.
If you must use a jug blender with hot soup, never use the central bung. As you blend, it will generate steam which can blow the lid off and send scalding soup everywhere. Instead, cover with a folded piece of kitchen paper, then a tea towel over the top. Lift from time to time between each blend to allow the steam to escape.
Step Six – Finally, add the Stilton, crumbling it into the pot while reserving a little for garnish. Stir in well until it melts and disappears into the soup. Check for seasoning. You may want to add a little pepper, but you won’t need any salt, as Stilton, like any blue cheese is salty enough.
Serving suggestion
Garnish your broccoli and Stilton soup with a little extra crumbled Stilton, a grind of black pepper, and some snipped chives if liked, and serve with delicious homemade bread or toast.
You could also add some croutons, toasted walnuts or toasted pine kernels.
Variations
- Use a different blue cheese.
- Add an apple to the soup along with the broccoli florets for a little fruitiness – pairs beautifully with the Stilton.
- Use a leek instead of the celery.
Storage
This recipe will serve four with some hearty bread, so if you are making it for one or two, you will have a second serving for tomorrow or to freeze for later.
Fridge – Once cool, cover and store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to three days. Reheat very gently in a pan on the stove or in a Pyrex jug in the microwave on half power.
Freezer – Transfer the cooled soup to airtight containers and freeze your broccoli and Stilton soup for up to three months.
Reheating – Defrost in the fridge overnight, or alternatively on the kitchen counter for a few hours. Reheat your broccoli and Stilton soup in a pan on the stove top, or in a safe container in the microwave. Try not to boil it. When using the microwave, I like to use a Pyrex-style jug for ease of handling.
Hints and tips
- For the best results, cook the florets for less time than the rest of the vegetables, as they are delicate.
- Stop cooking before you add the Stilton, and if you need to reheat your soup, do it gently. If your Stilton is very ripe, you may need a little less, so taste and check as you add it.
- Don’t be tempted to season the soup before the end. The Stilton is salty and you don’t want an oversalted soup.
- You can vary the quantities according to what you have, with more vegetables, more cheese, a little cream or whatever you like. Just don’t get carried away bulking it out with potatoes. You can add one more but if you put more in, you may spoil the texture.
- Always make the most of a good soup with a good garnish. I like to use chives. If you don’t have herbs growing and have to buy them, you can snip them up and freeze some for next time.
FAQs
Stilton is made with pasteurized milk, so if you have health concerns or are pregnant, you don’t need to worry.
In fact, there is a variation on the theme called Stichelton that cannot be labelled Stilton precisely because it does not use pasteurized milk or factory produced rennet, though it may be more like Stiltons of the past.
I like to give the soup a little extra body without making it too rich. You could add some cream or extra cheese and leave it out if that’s what you prefer to do.
It can be. Check your stock!
More soup recipes
- Beetroot soup – vibrant and earthy
- Carrot and coriander soup – a spicy classic
- Roast celeriac soup – velvety and delicious
Broccoli and Stilton Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion (medium)
- 2 sticks celery
- 650 g broccoli
- 180 g potato (1 small/medium potato)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 15 g butter
- 700 ml (3 cups) stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 150 g Stilton cheese, crumbled (adjust quantity according to strength of the cheese)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetables: Peel, trim and chop the onion, celery and potato as necessary. Chop the broccoli stem and separate the florets, setting them aside.1 onion, 2 sticks celery, 180 g potato, 650 g broccoli
- Melt the butter into the oil in a soup pan. Add the onion and celery and sweat them for about 5 minutes, stirring until they are soft but not coloured.1 tbsp olive oil, 15 g butter
- Add the broccoli stems and potato to the pan with the three quarters of the stock. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes.700 ml stock
- Add the broccoli florets to the pan. If you feel you need more liquid, add a little extra stock. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and blend until smooth, using a stick/immersion blender. If needed add some more liquid – water, stock or milk.
- Add the cheese to the pan and stir it in. When the cheese is well combined with the soup, check and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve garnished with extra Stilton.150 g Stilton cheese, crumbled
Notes
Storage
This recipe will serve four with some hearty bread, so if you are making it for one or two, you will have a second serving for tomorrow or to freeze for later. Fridge – Once cool, cover and store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to three days. Reheat very gently in a pan on the stove or in a Pyrex jug in the microwave on half power. Freezer – Transfer the cooled soup to airtight containers and freeze your broccoli and Stilton soup for up to three months.Hints and tips
- For the best results, cook the florets for less time than the rest of the vegetables, as they are delicate.
- Stop cooking before you add the Stilton, and if you need to reheat your soup, do it gently. If your Stilton is very ripe, you may need a little less, so taste and check as you add it.
- Don’t be tempted to season the soup before the end. The Stilton is salty and you don’t want an oversalted soup.
- You can vary the quantities according to what you have, with more vegetables, more cheese, a little cream or whatever you like. Just don’t get carried away bulking it out with potatoes. You can add one more but if you put more in, you may spoil the texture.
- Always make the most of a good soup with a good garnish. I like to use chives. If you don’t have herbs growing and have to buy them, you can snip them up and freeze some for next time.
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