This craveable broccolini and parmesan soup is perfect for Sacramento’s winter

The Abridged version:

• Sacramento’s winters provide cooks with inviting opportunities, including flavorful options at regional farmers markets, like cruciferous vegetables.
• Broccolini is sweeter, more delicate and slightly less bitter than its more mainstream and sturdier cousin, broccoli.
• Broccolini and parmesan soup is a more sophisticated take on classic broccoli cheddar.

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While Sacramento summers may feel relentless, our winters are the complete opposite. In fact, they make seasonal cooking feel inviting rather than restrictive — grilling outdoors is feasible, cold dishes won’t send a shiver down your spine and warm soups and stews are craveable rather than obligatory.

Even in months when trees are bare, produce across the Central Valley — Sacramento included — remains robust. Farmers markets throughout the Farm-to-Fork capital continue to offer inspiration, and last week, several stands were overflowing with cruciferous vegetables, including one of my favorites: broccolini.

While broccoli — its sturdier, more popular cousin — often takes center stage, broccolini is sweeter, more delicate and slightly less bitter, making it the perfect candidate for a soup that’s craveable — by choice, not necessity.

BROCCOLINI AND PARMESAN SOUP

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

A play on classic broccoli cheddar, this soup offers a more sophisticated, delicate take. Parmigiano Reggiano — lighter and nuttier than cheddar — steps in as a co-star through technique. At the start, the cheese is gently toasted, then simmered into the stock, allowing its rich, nutty flavor to infuse the base. To finish, it’s reintroduced as a crispy, crunchy topping, its richness balanced by the slight sweetness of broccolini.

Ingredients

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3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, divided

4 tablespoons salted butter

1 large shallot, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

12 ounces broccolini (about 3 small bunches), chopped into bite-sized pieces, tough ends removed

¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste

3 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

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Step 1

Dice half of the Parmigiano Reggiano into ½-inch pieces, then, using a box grater, shred the remaining half. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccolini and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccolini is bright green and slightly tender, about 4 minutes.

Step 3

Push the broccolini mixture to one side of the pan and add the diced Parmigiano Reggiano to the empty space. Let the cheese cook, undisturbed, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to sizzle and a fond forms on the bottom of the pan. Stir to combine and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 4

While scraping the toasted cheese bits off the bottom of the pan, slowly pour in the stock to deglaze. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes. Do not boil.

Step 5

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the shredded Parmigiano Reggiano into four small mounds (about 1 tablespoon each) and cook until evenly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the crisps cool and harden in the pan for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 6

Using a blender, working in batches if needed, purée the soup until silky smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

Step 7

To serve, ladle the soup into 4 bowls and garnish with a Parmigiano Reggiano crisp.

Zoe B. Soderstrom is the writer and recipe developer behind Cooking In Season, a biweekly column featuring recipes made from the Sacramento region’s seasonal produce. She runs the popular Substack page Restaurant Dropout and previously worked in Bay Area restaurants after graduating from culinary school.