Can I Use A Different Blue Cheese For The Broccoli and Stilton Soup?

Our answer

Nigella's Broccoli And Stilton Soup (from Nigella Express) is made with frozen broccoli florets, which makes it a quick and convenient option, particularly if you need an improptu meal. The crumbled stilton adds a slight creaminess to the soup, as well as a salty piquancy that makes the soup more interesting.

Stilton is a semi-hard cheese and is most commonly known as the blue-veined version. It crumbles easily and melts fairly readily, making it ideal for the soup. However, you can use a different blue-veined cheese. Roquefort is a good alternative and the blue veining in Stilton comes from the same strain as Roquefort (penicillium roqueforti). Gorgonzola is another option and we would tend to go for the piccante version as it is stronger in flavour and a slightly firmer cheese. Any other blue-veined cheese that melts easily could also be used. Roquefort and Gorgonzola tend to be slightly softer than Stilton, so you will need to dice or cube the cheese rather than crumble it.