White House Chef's Broccoli Soup

2 heads broccoli

1 tablespoon butter

6 garlic cloves, sliced

4 shallots, sliced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 sprig of thyme

1 small onion, sliced

8 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Trim the stems from the broccoli and cut into ½-inch slices. Cut the florets into large chunks.

In a medium size sauce pan, sweat the garlic, shallots, leeks, onion and thyme in butter until fragrant. Add the broccoli stem slices and saute until softened. Pour in the chicken stock and bay leaf. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a low boil and blanch the broccoli florets until bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking and maintain the bright color. Drain and puree in a blender. Set aside.

Puree the soup and strain through a fine chinoise. Return strained soup to pot and stir in the green puree; season with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot.

Serves six.

Chef Cristeta Comerford, the White House, Washington D.C.