Jo Pratt's creamy dolcelatte & broccoli soup

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Perfect for dinner parties or for lunch, try celeb chef Jo Pratt's recipe for this creamy dolcelatte and broccoli soup with tomato and herb croutons.

Ingredients

When buying broccoli, check that the stalk, flowerheads and leaves all look fresh and that the florets are green with tightly closed flower buds.

For the soup

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C, gas mark 7).
To make the croutons, remove the crusts from the bread, and cut each piece into approximately 1cm cubes. Toss with the olive oil, herbs and salt.
Tip onto a baking tray and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10 mins until golden and crunchy, turning once or twice throughout the cooking time. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
To make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan and then gently sauté the onion for 5 mins until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, potato and bay leaf. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 mins, stirring a couple of times until the potato is starting to become tender.
Cut the broccoli into 2-3cm pieces and add to the pan along with the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins, or until the broccoli is tender. Roughly chop the Dolcelatte, and stir into the pan, until it has melted.
Remove the bay leaf, and also remove a few of the broccoli florets to garnish the finished soup, keeping them to one side. Using a hand blender or liquidiser, blitz the soup until it is as smooth as you wish. Season with pepper and a little salt (the cheese is quite salty so don't go overboard on the salt).
Serve the soup hot, garnished with the broccoli florets, and with the crunchy tomato and herb croutons.