Broccoli, Stilton, and pear soup
- 2 large heads of broccoli, about 2ÂĽ pounds in total
- 3 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 4 ounces Stilton, crumbled
- 2 firm but ripe pears
- 2 tablespoons butter
- handful of toasted sliced almonds for garnish
Instructions:
Here’s a soup that’s perfect for entertaining, both for its elegance and for its ease of preparation.
- Cut the broccoli into florets, but do not waste the stalks. Peel off the tough skins from the stalks and roughly chop up the tender core.
- Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the broccoli and cover the pot. Cook until the broccoli is tender but still bright green, 3–4 minutes. In two batches, blend the broccoli and stock into a smooth soup, adding half of the Stilton as you do so. Return the soup to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Reheat just before serving.
- Peel the pears and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the cores with an apple corer. Melt the butter in a pan and add the pear halves, cut-side down. Spoon the foaming butter over the pears to baste as you cook them. Pan-roast them on one side until they are golden brown around the edges, 1–2 minutes, then flip them over to pan-roast the other side for 1–2 minutes longer. Remove to a plate and drain off the excess butter.
- Pour the soup into warm bowls and place a pan-roasted pear half in the center of each. Scatter the remaining crumbled Stilton and the sliced almonds over the soup to garnish. Serve at once.