Anyone else out there struggling with a bad case of spring envy? My Instagram feed is flooded with images of asparagus spears, rhubarb stalks and tulips emerging from the earth of my west coast friends.

Here in Ottawa, spring is taking it’s sweet time to arrive. This was the view out my window yesterday.

I’ve had enough braising and simmering. I’m ready for fast, fresh and green. While I’m waiting for local produce to arrive, this broccoli soup creates the perfect bridge between winter and spring. This recipe comes from the genius mind of Sohla El Waylly. Fans of Bon Appetit test kitchen videos will remember the charming Sohla. She is still busy creating recipes and videos over on YouTube. She also writes a weekly newsletter called Hot Dish, which is where I found this soup recipe.

I love this soup for so many reasons. It’s creamy without adding any cream. It takes only a few ingredients and about 10 minutes to cook. It has two additions of texture. When it comes to soup, I’m all about texture. A creamy soup is delicious for the first few spoonfuls, but then soup fatigue kicks in and I get bored by every mouthful being exactly the same as the last.

I adapted Sohla’s recipe only slightly, with the addition of a chopped shallot and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Start by sautéing the shallots for a few minutes, Add the florets and thinner stems. Once they become tender, add some 2% or whole milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.

Peel the tough larger stalks and dice into 1/4 inch cubes. Sauté them and add to the velvety puree for a nice textural contrast. To garnish the soup, make a cheddar frico. For the uninitiated, a frico is essentially a lacy cheese cracker. Fricos originated in the Italian region of Friuli, as a way to recycle cheese rinds during lean times. Simply grate 2 ounces of cheddar (Parmesan or Asiago will also work) and spread it out in a 10 inch non stick pan. Cook on medium heat until the cheese smells nutty and starts to brown. it will take about 5 minutes. Flip onto a paper towel to drain and cook. Break into shards to dip or crumble and sprinkle on top of your soup.

I set aside a few pretty broccoli florets to garnish the top of the soup , and drizzled a bit of olive oil over the top for shine and richness. Neither garnish are necessary, but they sure make for a pretty bowl. I’m a Libra with a strong sense of aesthetic. I can’t help myself.