Slightly spicy broccoli and blue-cheese soup

I was fortunate to have Tuesday off and fancied making some soup. So I decided on a fresh spring-like creation that doesn't require a great deal of effort. A recipe I cobbled together while working at the Black Olive delicatessen some years ago. I have a fairly rustic approach to cooking, with quantities being influenced by taste and consistency rather than accurate measures. I would say that this one is fairly reliable though.

The following will serve 2 to 3 people and by using animal-fat free cheese it can be suitable for vegetarians too.

Ingredients

• A head of broccoli
• 1 small green chilli
• 6 spring onions
• Small piece (150g) of blue cheese such as St.Agur or dolcelatte
• 2 Vegetable stock cubes
• Salt/Pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 pt of milk
• 1/3 pint of water
• Flat leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Chop the broccoli, chilli and spring onions
2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot
3. Add the chopped vegetables to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sweat on a low heat, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft but not brown. The chilli and onions will be cooked. Don't worry about the broccoli, its thick stems will finish cooking when the liquid stock is added later.
4. Prepare a pint jug of stock using 2 stock cubes, 2/3 pt of milk and 1/3pt of water and add this to the pan. Stir the ingredients around and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Chop the blue cheese into cubes (this will help it melt quicker and avoid lumps) and add it to the pan and stir until melted.
6. Leave to simmer until the broccoli is tender.
7. Using an electric hand-blender, carefully blend the soup for about two minutes or until the broccoli stems have broken down.
8. You will find that blending will thicken the soup, so add as much of the remaining milk until you are happy with the consistency.

Serve with chopped flat leaf parsley and warm ciabatta.