until I tasted it the other night. Then I was back at our dinner table in Kansas City, wearing my school uniform and doing imitations of my teachers over a bowl of that soup.

It didn't taste like a broccoli soup I'd make today, with its roux of butter and flour, its dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco, and a lot of cheddar cheese. But I thought it might bridge the family into broccoli, and to the grandmother who died when my daughter was just 2.

My son Sam was spotted snacking on the raw broccoli florets as I cooked -- a good sign. When it came to the soup, though, he ate just a few spoonfuls before declaring it "yucky." Ditto for his sister Leah, but she deserved props for trying something new.

Oh, well. I liked it. And my husband ate two big bowls.

Yes, broccoli can be a hard sell, even wrapped in melted cheese. But kids do grow up and come around.

Wish I could tell Mom that. Maybe, if there's Web access in heaven, I just did.

Fast and Delicious Broccoli Soup
Serves 4
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Few drops hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt to taste
 Cook broccoli in chicken broth until it is just tender. In a separate pan, cook onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, add milk and cook until mixture thickens. Combine sauce with broccoli and broth; add remaining ingredients. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Add cheese and parsley; simmer, stirring, until cheese is melted and soup is smooth.

--Pat Shatzkin

Per serving: 240 calories, 14 grams protein, 17 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat, 8 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 713 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.

(Photo by me)