broccoli soup

This recipe is sort of a trimmed down version of cream of broccoli soup as it uses 2% milk instead of heavy cream.

Among the many kitchen essentials my mom gave me as a wedding gift, the ones that get used the most are the pressure cooker, idli steamer and mixie (aka heavy-duty blender).

While I generally do not like to pressure cook vegetables, it works great for making vegetable soups.

for the roux:
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk, warm
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1-2 serrano or jalapeno, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp Madras curry powder
salt to taste

½ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
spring onions for garnish
sliced roasted garlic chips for garnish (optional)

Preparation

throw the broccoli, onions, garlic, serrano, with a pinch of salt and curry powder, in the pressure cooker with enough water and cook till mushy

meanwhile, make a roux of sorts:in a saucepan, add the flour and dry roast till flour turns golden brown, taking care not to burn; slowly stir in the butter without clumping; then add the warm milk gradually, while stirring constantly; add half the cheeses and keep stirring; let it simmer till it thickens a bit

using a potato masher or other suitable instrument, mash the veggies in the pressure cooker, add the sauce from step above, adjust flavors and let it simmer till well incorporated; serve warm topped with grated cheese, roasted garlic chips and chopped spring onions