Devon Blue & Broccoli Soup

Prepare: 10 mins

Cook: 35 mins

Cut the stalk from the broccoli and chop it into small dice, then cut the florets into roughly 2cm pieces. Trim and peel the onion and dice it finely, then trim the leek, wash it thoroughly and cut into thin slices. Next, place the butter and oil in a large saucepan (one which has a lid) over a low-medium heat and, when the butter melts, add the prepared leek, onion and broccoli stalk and cook until soft but not caramelised (about 10 minutes). Trim and peel the garlic cloves, then crush them into the pan, add the bayleaf too, then cook, stirring, for two minutes until the garlic loses its rawness.

Pour the hot stock carefully into the pan, then half cover with the lid and bring to up to a low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the milk and the chopped broccoli florets to the pan. Stir them in and bring the pan back up to a gentle simmer, then cook for 3-5 minutes until the florets are just tender (you want them to stay green and vibrant, so be careful not to overdo it). Take the pan off the heat, carefully remove the bayleaf and stir in the crumbled blue cheese, then use a stick blender to blitz it all together into a smooth soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, bearing in mind that the cheese and stock are already quite salty, then blitz again. Reheat if necessary, then serve with plenty of bread alongside.