Broccoli Gloucester Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion
2 lbs broccoli
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 fluid ounces dry vermouth
1/2 lb double Gloucester cheese (or any mild, cheddar style cheese)
3 cups cream or 3 cups milk
salt
white pepper

Preparation

Peel the onion and slice thinly.
Clean the broccoli well and remove any leaves from the stalks.
Cut the stalks into thin medallions, and cut the florets into roughly 2-inch chunks.
You may want to reserve 4 or 6 nice florets to steam and use as garnish in the finished soup bowls.
Melt the butter in a 6-quart soup pot and add the onion and broccoli pieces.
Saute until softened, but don't brown the onion.
Add the vermouth and let it come to a simmer.
Grate the cheese (for a real treat, use Stilchester cheese if you can find it) and add to the soup pot.
Puree in a food processor or with a hand held blender until well pureed and the cheese is incorporated.
Return to the pot and add the milk or cream and add salt and white pepper to taste.