Broccoli-Fennel Soup With Garlic Croutons

Make the garlic croutons: Place one oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bread loaf in half (as you would a sandwich, not like a hamburger bun). Pull the inside of the bread out of the crust in 1- to 1½-inch chunks and put the chunks in a large bowl. Reserve the crusts to snack on or discard them.

Pour the oil in a medium sauté pan. Use a fine Microplane to grate the garlic into the pan (or mince it and add it) and heat over medium heat for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant, stirring constantly so it doesn’t brown. Turn off the heat and drizzle the garlic and oil over the bread chunks. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat the bread evenly.

Spread the bread chunks in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are golden brown, turning them with tongs halfway through the cooking time. (You may need to remove smaller croutons that are done before the larger croutons have browned.) Remove the croutons from the oven.

Make the soup: Cut the broccoli stems from the crowns. Cut the crowns into large florets and slice the stems about ½ inch thick. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the onion, fennel and 1 tablespoon of the salt and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the leek and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the onion and fennel are very soft and translucent, stirring often so the vegetables don’t brown. (If they do begin to brown, lower the heat and add a splash of water to the pan.)

Add the broccoli stems and florets and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to combine and sauté for about 10 minutes to soften. Add 1 quart of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the vegetables for about 30 minutes, until they are very tender, adding another quart of water during the cooking process. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme and bay leaf.

Working in 2 batches, puree the soup with the fresh parsley leaves and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a blender. (Be careful, the hot soup will expand in the blender and can cause the lid to blow off — and soup to go everywhere! So when you’re blending something hot, like this soup, don’t fill the blender jar more than one-quarter full. Keep the vent open and put a bunched-up kitchen towel over it. Start blending on the lowest possible setting and pulse while you lift the towel to gradually let out steam.)

Serve the soup warm, drizzled with good olive oil and topped with the croutons.