We are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow for ten days. I’m looking forward to this break – I am really a bit tired and fatigued! Maybe summer was just too much fun!

I didn’t want to buy extra food for dinner tonight. The point is after all to clean the fridge when leaving. I had broccoli in the fridge. And it is cold and raining. And I still have to pack and clean up. So dinner was to be a broccoli soup. Or rather…a velouté. I always have a problem with broccoli soup. I can never get it to be tasty. It always tastes like over cooked broccoli. Awful.

…velouté de brocoli et fleur de sel à la vanille…

broccoli vanilla soup 2

I sautéed two shalots in olive oil. Then added a big broccoli head with enough vegetable stock to cover the broccoli completely. I let it simmer until the broccoli stems were tender. Removed from the heat and with a hand blender, blended until smooth. I added some milk and a swirl of cream for thickness and mixed through, placed back on the heat and slowly brought back to boil and removed from the heat. I Seasoned with some vanilla salt(fleur de sel with scraped seeds from a vanilla seedpod) and a turn of the pepper mill. Still tasted bland. So I added a handful of chopped fresh tarragon, the grated skin of a lime, some lime juice to taste, and a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar. After mixing the soup again with the  handmixer, I strained it through a fine sieve to get a velouté. Tasted again. Not too bad, but still not what I’m looking for in a broccoli velouté. I served it warm in bowls with a dollop of mayonnaise and a last sprinkling of the vanilla fleur de sel. The maynnaise adds a nice touch to the soup I thought.

I’d love to try a nice broccoli soup recipe, because I DO love broccoli! So, If you’re reading here and you have a nice broccoli soup recipe, please leave a link to your recipe in the comment section, so we can all delight in what’s good! If you don’t have a link, you can shortly describe your recipe in the comments.

I’m off packing now and will be back beginning of October. Until then: Try, Test and Taste…always!

…trying to get to Hawaii…

trying to get to Hawai

17 thoughts on “Velouté de brocoli et fleur de sel à la vanille.”

  3. I just made soup:) It will be on my little blog tomorrow peut-être..

    But in the same almost bowls:)

    I just wish I could paint comme vous:)

    How adorable!!If she had sturdier legs..she could be me.
    I love the ocean!I pack my Cotman’s..

    I need to start wearing an anklet:)I am so ancient I wore an ankh ring in my late teens:)

    I do as you do for my soups.. my vegetable is always simmered in a strong stock:) w/ some garlic..I sometimes add a potato..salt and pepper~

    In reading your recipe Ronelle..it should be divine..could your stock be too light?Perhaps you are too critical of your soup:) I think so..I love the addition of vanilla!

    C’est si bon!! As I love to say~

    Have a wonderful time in Hawaï~Paint and Paint:)

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  4. Happy, delightful cartoon, Ronell. Here’s to Hawaii replenishment and exuberant sketching!
    annie

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  5. Martie

    Dis reeds 17 September en dit reën en dit is koud. Ons het vanoggend begin stap maar moes omdraai. So I am goiing to make your veloutè de brocoli cette nuit peut-être pour déjeuner. Learning Italian at the moment so my French is not too good. Have not done French for quite a while. Geniet julle vakansie in Hawaii. Die skets is pragtig. Marinell and Liandri are two beautiful young ladies, now. I have last seen them in 1997, I think

    Groete

    Tannie Martie

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  6. What a lovely looking soup though!!

    I love your drawing!! hahahahahahaha,….

    have a great time & enjoy!

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  7. Hi Ronell, have you tried adding bacon to your soup? It goes well with broccoli.it sounded nice anyway.
    have a fun trip and reswt up. Cheers Rosemary…
    PS.We are off to coffs harbour for 10 days by the sea too.

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  8. Sun, Swim Slurp and Swivel those hips in Hawaii!
    SOOOEnvious.
    Have a good trip see you when you come back.
    Adieu and Aloha

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  13. Bon voyage … Hawaii … how delightful! I adore brocolli and brocolli soup, a must! Your recipe sounds delightful … I often ‘kick mine up a notch’ adding cayenne pepper (a puree blend of spinach, brocolli, carrots, sweet onions garlic, fresh seasonal herbs, coarse salt & freshly ground pepper with added white wine to stock … is also a winner topped with sour cream and snipped fresh herbs).

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  14. Have a wonderful time in Hawaii! By the way, the soup looks delicious! See you when you return!

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  15. I hope you are having a great time in Hawaii. Your painting is adorable. Love the flip-flops! And the finished soup sounds very interesting. I never heard of putting a dollop of mayo in soup, that is a great idea.
    LL

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  17. Mayonnaise in soup – you got my attention!! I love most broccoli soup – I always make broccoli soup with blue cheese – it gives a creamy nutty flavour that I adore…

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