Broccoli And Stilton Veloute Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt; sweat until the onion is translucent and soft, about 5–6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.

Make a roux

Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the softened onions and garlic. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the flour and form a light blond roux; this will thicken the velouté base.

Add stock and simmer

Slowly whisk in the chicken or vegetable stock, a ladle at a time, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes to allow the roux to thicken slightly.

Cook the broccoli

Add the broccoli florets to the simmering stock. Cover and simmer gently until the broccoli is very tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.

Add dairy and blend

Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth and silky. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender and purée until smooth, then return to the saucepan. Rewarm gently over low heat—do not boil.

Incorporate Stilton

Off the heat, add about three-quarters of the crumbled Stilton to the warm puréed soup. Stir until the cheese melts and is fully incorporated, yielding a creamy, slightly tangy flavor. Taste and season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed; blue cheese can be salty, so add salt sparingly.

Adjust acidity & texture

Stir in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors and check seasoning again. If the velouté is too thick, thin it with up to 1/4 cup additional warm stock or milk until it reaches desired consistency.

Serve

Ladle the velouté into warmed bowls. Break up the remaining crumbled Stilton and sprinkle over the top so you get small pockets of creamy blue cheese. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over each bowl if using, and finish with chopped chives or parsley and a final crack of black pepper.