Italian? Nope, a Japanese invention! Broccolini and parmesan soup is a crunchier, sweeter and bolder take on broccoli cheddar

A week after my garden began to almost flourish last month - daisies blooming, tomato stalks fruiting - the temperature dropped, and my plants' leaves started to wither. Every few days, I harvested a handful of something. The day I snipped my broccolini stalks out of their pot, I decided it was brisk enough outside to make soup. This Broccolini Parmesan Soup is my take on broccoli cheddar.

Broccolini might sound as if it were born in Italy, but the leggy green vegetable was a Japanese invention. As Carole Sugarman reported for The Post in 1999, "It was bred from a cross, and its parents are an unlikely couple: broccoli and Chinese kale," otherwise known as gai lan.

Generally, broccoli thrives in cooler climates. Although it can grow in temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees, if subjected to more than a few days of 90-degree heat, it can falter. Thus, the initial goal for the plant breeders at Yokohama's Sakata Seed was to create a broccoli hybrid that could be grown in hotter weather.

Researchers wanted to retain broccoli's best qualities: vibrant green crowns, pleasant crunch and mild sweetness. What if they crossed it with gai lan, which has tender stalks and can tolerate higher temperatures?

Though they didn't succeed in creating a heat-resistant strain of broccoli, the team at Sakata Seed did bring a winning new vegetable to market. After some naming and marketing hiccups, the small, slender stems with fluttery bunches of buds eventually became a hit with consumers as broccolini. "In plant life, as in human life, offspring don't always inherit the best of mom and dad. Broccolini did good," Sugarman wrote.

With a crunchier texture than standard broccoli and a sweeter flavor than astringent broccoli rabe, broccolini can be used wherever you'd use mature or baby broccoli.

If you enjoy broccoli cheddar soup, I encourage you to make Nourish columnist Ellie Krieger's version. It's a favorite of mine that features Ellie's genius trick for making a soup, sauce or stew creamy without cream. Nutrient-dense white beans - not potatoes, not a roux - simmered and then pureed turn this vegetable-heavy soup into a thick pool of pale green.

With that formula in mind and a block of parmesan in hand, I started prepping. Onions, garlic and a parmesan rind (optional) give this soup depth; cannellini beans and lots of broccolini provide body. A packed cup of grated parmesan lends its salty umami.

Serve steaming bowls with garlic bread, pan con tomate or focaccia to round out the meal.

Broccolini Parmesan Soup

The patty melt is a diner classic, but it doesn't have to be so meaty. This version puts deeply caramelized mushrooms and onions front and center. (You can add a beef patty, too, if you want.) A splash of Worcestershire sauce lends acidity and rounds out the flavors. Use your favorite cheese and bread, but don't skimp on the butter, which ensures the best flavor and a crispy exterior. The sandwiches are best if eaten the day they are made.

Fans of broccoli cheddar soup might like this variation, which pairs verdant broccolini with sharp parmesan cheese. Cannellini beans get pureed into the soup, giving it body and additional protein. If you have the rind of a spent wedge of parmesan, add it to the simmering broth to bring more dimension to the soup's flavor. (Whenever you end up with a rind, pop it in the freezer until needed.) If you like your soup chunky, don’t blend it much, or at all. If you like it smooth, use a high-speed blender for the silkiest texture. Top each bowl with more grated parmesan, or make fricos (cheese crisps) for a fancier garnish (see related recipe).

TOTAL TIME:: 35 mins
SERVINGS 4 to 6 (makes about 10 cups)
STORAGE: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced
• 2 bunches broccolini (1 pound total), chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
• Fine salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, preferably no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 parmesan rind (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1 packed cup (4 ounces) grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

STEPS

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the broccolini and garlic, and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccolini turns bright green and the thickest stems are fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the beans, broth and parmesan rind, if using. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the broccolini is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. (It may lose its brightness or darken to an olive green; this is fine.)

Remove the pot from the heat, fish out the parmesan rind if you used it, and stir in the cream, if using, a little at a time. While stirring, sprinkle the cheese into the soup. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is as chunky or smooth as you’d like. (Or you can puree the soup in batches in a blender. Fill it no more than halfway, and be sure to remove the center ring from the lid and hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend to prevent splatters.) Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. Divide among bowls and serve, with additional parmesan on top, if desired.

Substitutions: Broccolini >> broccoli. You could also use broccoli rabe, but the flavor may be more bitter. Cannellini beans >> navy or Great Northern beans, peeled and diced potatoes, cauliflower florets. Vegetable broth >> chicken broth, bean broth. Parmesan cheese >> pecorino Romano, aged white cheddar cheese or manchego.

Notes: Using grated cheese is essential. You don’t want the feathery fluff that comes from running a block of hard cheese against a Microplane. If you’re not grating a block of parmesan on the small, stamped holes of a cheese grater, buy cheese labeled “grated” at the store. Shredded cheese can work; measuring by weight will ensure that you use the correct amount.

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