Cream of Any Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• about 1 lb broccoli

  trimmed and cut up, to yield about 4 loosely packed cups broccoli, or the equivalent amount of cauliflower, carrots, turnips, celery, or other vegetable
  1 unit
• rice or 1 medium baking potato

  peeled and cut into quarters
  ½ cup
• chicken

  beef, v vegetable stock, or water
  4 cups
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  1 unit
• heavy or light cream or half-and-half
  ½ to 1 cup
• minced fresh parsley leaves or chives for garnish
  1 unit