Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

3-4 cups broccoli, cooked, chopped
2 cups broccoli cooking water
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup celery, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup onion, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup parsley, lightly packed
⅓ cup rice, uncooked
⅓ tsp. salt
½ cup light cream
¼ cup milk (more if necessary)

Method

Wash and trim about 1½ pounds of broccoli. Divide the large pieces and cook in boiling, salted water until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes). Drain the broccoli well, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. Chop the broccoli coarsely and set aside. You should have 3 to 4 cups of chopped broccoli.

Pour the broth and cooking water into a 4-quart port. Bring to a boil and add the celery, onion, parsley, rice, and salt. Return to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is very soft. Add 3 cups of the broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes longer. It will be very thick. Remove from the heat. Puree in small batches in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the pan and stir in the cream, milk and ½ to 1 cup additional broccoli, if desired, correct the seasoning and heat gently.