Got it. Purple sprouting broccoli (or PSB, as it will now be known, because I really can’t be bothered to type the full name each time).
This is another of those vegetables that I’ve grown to love in recent times. I love the taste of it, and I particularly love its versatility.
I also find its character rather amusing. You get these lovely purple florets surrounded by lots of lush greeny-purply leafage. And then you put it in boiling water. And weird things happen. It goes bright green!
I’d love to know what evolutionary quirk happened to bring that about... But I digress.
Anyway, I usually have PSB with pasta, quite simply, so as not to mess with its delicate taste – I’ll share those recipes sometime soon. But last night, I hankered after a soup. I very rarely fancy soup, so I thought I’d live dangerously and go with it.
Consulting with my good friend, Google, I found this Georgio Locatelli recipe on the web. I liked the idea of cooking the PSB very minimally so as to keep its vibrant green colour – rather than simmering it endlessly, as so many soup recipes seem to require – to within an inch of its life. Here, you blanch the PSB separately, and then purée it and add it back into the base vegetables just before serving. A great idea.
So, unusually for me (I have a pathological resistance to doing what I’m told), I followed the recipe almost to the letter. The only thing I didn't do was put it all through a sieve. Life's too short, frankly.
The result was a deliciously subtle, but distinctly flavoured and very pretty soup...
6 comments:
I've never heard of purple sprouting broccoli. It sounds like it would be fun to cook with. Color changing vegetables!
I love PSB too. You don't get it in New Zealand, so it was a bit of a revelation to me when I discovered it. My favourite way of serving it is to cook it until just tender then dress it with olive oil, vinegar (cider works well) and finely chopped shallots and tomato.
PSB is one of our ultimate fav vegetables. Have yet to make a brocolli soup and yours looks delicious. Just about ready for dinner, grabs spoon, would make a nice starter.
Love it! I have that same pathalogical resistance to doing what I'm told.
We're growing purple sprouting in the garden. Hoping it will be ready in March.
I adore PSB and this soup looks wonderful. Definately one to try soon!
I've never tried purple sprouting broccoli but it sounds so interesting to prepare. I'll get my mixes from my spice rack and try to recapture its flavor.swe
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