Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Broccoli Soup with Vegetable Broth, Healthy and Heart Warming~

Wednesday January 11, 2011

Update January 8, 2015 
Last year at this time we had snow in the Southern states and I prepared a pot of my homemade broccoli soup. No snow today but 12 decrees brrrr, a perfect day to whip up a batch of home made soup! 
During this time of year I receive many requests for soup recipes and on my blog one of my most popular recipes is for my home made broccoli soup. This soup is broth based, no fat, heavy cream, just a few shreds of cheese as a topping when you serve the soup, but that is optional, so if you are looking for a healthy, palate pleasing soup try this one and let me know what you think.
Cheers! Kary 

Wednesday January 11, 2011 ~ Broccoli Soup
It's a snow day in the Southern states and the South is pretty much shut down, believe me it is safer for everyone! Yesterday the grocery stores were full as shoppers stocked up for the big winter storm!  
Instead of heading out to fight for the last loaf of bread I decided to take my advice from Friday’s blog and see what I could cook up with what I had on hand. The other day we enjoyed fresh broccoli with grilled steaks and I had about 1 lb of cooked broccoli left over. After checking in my pantry and fridge I decided on making broccoli soup.
Soup warms the body and soul on a cold winter day!
What’s your favorite soup? Cheers! Kary 
Ingredients:
        1 lb of steamed broccoli, fresh or frozen chopped into bite size pieces
         If you have uncooked broccoli steam or cook in the broth, see below
        1/2 of a sweet yellow onion, diced about 1/2 cup
        2 fresh garlic gloves, crushed or chopped
         Variation: 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
        4 cups of vegetable broth, low sodium
         Variation: Chicken broth works just as well
         Shopping suggestion: Purchase extra broth and frozen broccoli when on sale. Make your own chicken broth
        1 teaspoon Butter or Olive Oil
        Optional: ¼ cup of shelled walnuts, adds another layer of flavor 

        Toppings:
        ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
        ¼ cup diced tomato

How to Prepare:
        Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large cooking pot over medium heat
        Sauté the diced onions and garlic for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onions are soft and garlic starts to brown
        Add the cooked broccoli and broth to the pot, stir
         Do not heat yet. I blend the soup prior to heating, warm food expands in the blender.  Otherwise you will have an explosion of broccoli soup all over your kitchen or you could burn yourself!
         If your using uncooked broccoli add to the broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes-Cool before blending!
        Pour 2 cups of the soup in the blender and puree. I like pieces of broccoli in my soup, if you prefer a smooth soup blend the entire contents from the pot, blend in two batches
         Or use an hand immersion blender
        Blend until thick and smooth
        Once blended pour back into the pot with the remaining broccoli
        Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for several minutes

Top each bowl with teaspoon of tomatoes and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Great soup for a cold snow day!

Serve with grilled cheese, your favorite sandwich or Salad! Enjoy!
Cheers! Kary!
Favorite Kitchen items that I love and used in this recipe: Simply Calphalon Nonstick 7-qt. Dutch Oven, Oster 4093-008 5-Cup Glass Jar 2-Speed Beehive


No comments:

Post a Comment