Creamy chicory soup

I never really liked chicory, I have never even tried to taste it to be honest, it just doesn’t look appealing enough for me. But I decided to give it a try with this recipe, as I am a soup lover, so maybe that could be a way for me to get used to this vegetable. And it actually tasted yami!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

• 600 g of chicory
• 0,75 litre of milk
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 3 garlic gloves
• 20 g of butter
• One handful of grated cheese (cheddar or Gruyere…)
• 3 slices of ham
• Salt, pepper

Times:

• Preparation: 15 mins
• Cooking: 30 mins
• Rest: none

1- Slice the chicory, take off the core close to the root (don’t leave it, as it taste really really bitter and can ruin your soup, trust me, I’ve been there…). You can keep just one or two pieces maximum, if you like a little bit of bitterness, but not more.

2- Wash and drain them, then place them in a hot pan with the butter and let them cook covered for 10 minutes between low to medium heat, while stirring from time to time (so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan).

3- Crush the garlic and add it to the pan with the flour, salt and pepper, and keep stirring for two more minutes.

4- Turn off the heat and add the milk little by little while stirring. Cover and put again on low heat for 20 more minutes, don’t forget to stir from time to time.

5- After 20 minutes turn off the heat and let cool down for a few minutes. In the mean time, mix the ham in a blender, then add the chicory and milk mixture, and mix for at least 2 minutes (as I have a small blender, that step is a two steps process for me).

6- Once you have mx your soup, put it back into the pan on low to medium heat, add the cheese and stir until it is melted (I stop the heat a little bit before to keep some bits of the cheese unmelted).

Enjoy!