Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 8 cups broccoli florets
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

  2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use an immersion blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

  3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium to medium-low heat; stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.