Ingredients

• 350g/12oz broccoli
• florets and stalks cut into small pieces
• 400ml/14fl oz vegetable stock
• 25g/1oz butter
• 4 spring onions
• finely sliced
• 50g/1¾oz Stilton
• crumbled
• or to taste
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 slices French bread
• 100g/3½oz Stilton
• sliced

Directions

• For the soup
• place the pieces of broccoli into a glass bowl. Pour over the vegetable stock.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the microwave. Cook on full power for four minutes
• or until tender.
• Meanwhile
• heat a frying pan until hot then add the butter. When it starts to foam
• add the spring onions and cook for one minute.
• Transfer the cooked broccoli and stock to a food processor. Add the fried spring onions
• Stilton and cream and blend until smooth.
• Transfer the blended mixture to a pan and bring gently to a simmer.
• Meanwhile
• for the croûtons
• toast the French bread under a grill until golden-brown on each side.
• Top the grilled bread with the slices of Stilton and return to the grill until golden-brown and bubbling.
• Season the soup with salt
• freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Divide the soup equally among four warm bowls and top each with a Stilton croûton. Serve.