It's a snow day in the Southern states! 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 on a cold winter day. Cheers! Karen
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
• 1 lb of steamed broccoli, fresh or frozen chopped into bite size pieces
• 1/2 of a sweet yellow onion, diced about 1/2 cup
• 2 fresh garlic gloves, crushed or chopped
– Variation: 2 tsp. crushed garlic from a jar or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium
– Variation: The chicken broth adds to the flavor however vegetable or beef broth works just as well
– Shopping suggestion: Purchase extra broth and frozen broccoli when on sale
• 1 tablespoon of butter or 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• ¼ cup walnuts- optional
• Toppings:
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup diced tomato
• Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large cooking pot
• 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!
• Pour 3 cups of the soup in the blender, add the walnuts and puree (the walnuts add a little added flavor. I like pieces of broccoli in my soup, if you prefer a smooth soup blend the entire contents from the pot. You will probably have to 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, baked chicken, a salad or your favorite sandwich!
Variation- If using uncooked broccoli:
• After you sautéed the onions and garlic add the broccoli and broth to the pot
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the broccoli is fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes
• Allow the soup to cool then blend in batches, reheat and serve
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
• 1 lb of steamed broccoli, fresh or frozen chopped into bite size pieces
• 1/2 of a sweet yellow onion, diced about 1/2 cup
• 2 fresh garlic gloves, crushed or chopped
– Variation: 2 tsp. crushed garlic from a jar or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium
– Variation: The chicken broth adds to the flavor however vegetable or beef broth works just as well
– Shopping suggestion: Purchase extra broth and frozen broccoli when on sale
• 1 tablespoon of butter or 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• ¼ cup walnuts- optional
• Toppings:
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup diced tomato
• Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large cooking pot
• 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!
• Pour 3 cups of the soup in the blender, add the walnuts and puree (the walnuts add a little added flavor. I like pieces of broccoli in my soup, if you prefer a smooth soup blend the entire contents from the pot. You will probably have to 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, baked chicken, a salad or your favorite sandwich!
Variation- If using uncooked broccoli:
• After you sautéed the onions and garlic add the broccoli and broth to the pot
• Bring to a boil and simmer until the broccoli is fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes
• Allow the soup to cool then blend in batches, reheat and serve
My friend Janet commented that she had not tried this soup yet because she was trying to limit the amount of cheese she was eating. I let her know that this soup does not contain any cheese, just a sprinkle on top, which you can leave out. We all love Broccoli Soup thick with cheese; however this is a healthy and tasty alternative.
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