2 1/2 lb broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
1 cup chopped leeks or green onion
4 tsp butter
4 tbsp flour
4 cup chicken stock
1 cup light cream
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Directions
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut enough florets to measure 2 cups. Cut rest of broccoli into 1-
in.pieces. Cook florets and broccoli pieces, separately, in lightly
salted water until just tender. (Florets will be done first).
Immediately rinse in cold water. Drain. Set florets aside until
serving time. In a large saucepan saute leeks in butter until tender;
usually about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and cook one more minute,
stirring with whisk. Remove from heat and stir in broth. Return to
heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli
pieces to broth and puree in blender in batches, until smooth. Just
before serving, blend in cream and Swiss cheese. Simmer gently until
cheese melts. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper. Add reserved florets and heat
through.
Posted by Michael Grosz. Courtesy of Fred Peters.
Servings: 6 servings
Broccoli & Swiss Cheese Soup Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cheese; Soup; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
We can track the history of written recipes back into antiquity, at least as far into history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and maybe further still. However, generally, these early records were just basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for meal preparation.
In fact, the oldest recipe discovered, according to food historians are some ancient tablets in the Sumerian language describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. Progressing into Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts detailing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his publication, he recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and desserts, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius informs us how the Roman cooks used many different spices and herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens like bay, mint and parsley. For the next few years, the wealthy families of the West competed to offer the most extravagent banquests, and consequentially the best cooks and their collection of recipes were at a premium. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 19th century that cookery and recipe publications rose to prominence. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated their lives to collating, testing, and recording recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the advent of the twentieth century, cooking books were in great demand, as a result of better eduction, people having more spare time and having more money to spend. |
We hope you enjoy this Broccoli & Swiss Cheese Soup recipe.
