Broccoli-Cheese Soup(Atk) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lbs broccoli (florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slice)
1 onion, medium-roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced-pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
table salt
3 -4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (see note)
2 ounces Baby Spinach (2 loosely packed cups)
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated fine (about 3/4 cup)
ground black pepper

Preparation

Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to simmer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to Dutch oven, place over medium heat and bring to simmer. Adjust consistency of soup with up to 1 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.