As the weather cools down, we're pulling together some of our favourite soup recipes to share with you. Some are new, and others are old favourites you may have enjoyed on the cottage verandah in years past. We'll continue to add to this collection over the season so keep an eye out for new recipes, or subscribe to our mailing list for weekly updates.
Broccoli, Lemon & Feta Soup
One our best loved soups from the Epicure kitchen; super quick and easy to make and oh-so-delicious. All you need is a few quality ingredients and we promise you'll be able to recreate this at home!
And, because soup weather is definitely also bread weather, we've included a quick guide to our famous 'Garlic Toast' you might remember from our Friday Night Suppers.
Author:Renee Sillato
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
one brown onion, roughly chopped into half moons
two cloves of garlic, finely minced
two tablespoons good quality dijon mustard* see notes
three decent sized heads of broccoli, roughly chopped (you can use the stem too, just remove the woody base)
one litre vegetable stock*
optional: parmesan rind
300mL quality cream
juice of half a lemon
pink salt and black pepper
good quality creamy feta
lemon rind
optional: cooked or puffed quinoa
optional: sunflower seeds
optional: soft herbs or micro herbs
pink salt and black pepper
sourdough
extra virgin olive oil
garlic jam
cultured butter
chives
Topping
garlic toast
Directions
SOUP
heat the oil in a large stock pot. once warm, add the onion and cook until translucent. add the garlic after about two minutes so it doesn't burn. add the mustard and stir for about 30 seconds to release the flavour. add the broccoli and stir to coat with mustard, then add the stock. if using, add the parmesan rind in at this stage to impart extra flavour.
allow the stock to come to the boil, and bring the heat down to low. cook until the broccoli is soft but not overcooked, just before it starts to change colour.
remove from the heat and remove about half of the stock (reserve). remove the parmesan rind if used. add the cream, and blend to a smooth consistency using a stick blender. add your reserved stock back in to achieve your desired consistency - we like it on the thicker side.
season to your taste with salt and pepper and the juice of half a lemon (if desired).
GARLIC TOAST
drizzle slices of sourdough with olive oil and pan-fry on both sides. spread one side with lashings of cultured butter, spread over garlic jam and top with chives. serve warm and let the compliments roll in!
SERVING
divide the broccoli soup into serving bowls and top with a generous amount of feta, crumbled over the centre of the bowl. grate lemon rind over the soup, then sprinkle with any or all of the soft herbs, quinoa or sunflower seeds. finish with cracked black pepper.
Recipe Note
A note on mustard:
Good quality mustard will really make a difference here (and always). We use and recommend Simon Johnson Dijon Mustard which delivers a rich, full flavour. Supermarket-bought mustards usually have a low mustard seed content and can taste watered down, and won't impart much flavour in your soup. Spending a little extra on the better quality stuff means you can use less and taste more.
A note on stock:
Homemade stock is best, but a decent quality store-bought stock will absolutely do the job here. Use the best quality you can justify paying for as it will make a difference. Powdered stocks are extremely high in sodium so reduce the amount of salt you add if using those.
A note on feta:
Any soft, creamy feta will work well here. We recommend Gowrie Farm Marinated Feta which is made here in Camden, which is soft and tart and crumbles nicely. Meredith Dairy Goat Feta is also delicious and works well here. Yarra Valley Persian Feta is also a great choice.
A note on salt:
The type of salt you are using is a make or break factor in home cooking. My go-to is Murray River Pink Salt for it's ultra fine texture and delicate, mineral flavour.
Comments (3)
Wendy porter on June 01, 2021
I miss your soups – I always looked forward to the cooler seasons when you would start again, so thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. It was delicious! I always think things taste better when someone else makes them, but this is the best brocolli soup I’ve made so far, so biggest thank you for sharing your woundreful recipie. I’m making it again today :)
dean boone on June 01, 2021
can we do a collaboration for a cook book! you would kill it
Deb Garner on June 01, 2021
Thanks so much for this recipe Renee !!! Can’t wait to recreate this
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