Broccoli Basil Soup Recipe from The Golden Door Cooks at Home Cookbook

I had a lot of requests for the recipe I used for the Broccoli Basil Soup I did at Christmas. Below is the recipe and some of the "how-to" pix. I didn't take pix for each and every step

Broccoli Basil Soup 
(Courtesy of the new Golden Door Cooks at Home [<---click] Cookbook)

Olive Oil Spray
1/2 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup)
1 pound broccoli (chopped)
4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock (store bought low-sodium ok)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup of packed fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves
2 ounces sharp smoked Cheddar or Gouda, grated (about 1 cup loosely packed, optional)


Saute onion in olive oil spray 4-5 min

Stir chopped broccoli into the onion, cook 1 min.  Add stock, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 min.

Allow to cool, remove and discard bay leaf.  
Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and process until creamy but still chunky, about 30 secs.  Add the spinach and basil to the blender process for another 10 secs. 
Return soup to a clean saucepan and reheat over low heat until simmering.

If desired, add the grated Cheddar and stir until melted.

Serve hot

ENJOY!