Thursday, February 10, 2011

recipe of the week: creamy broccoli soup

this recipe has been in my "to try" file for awhile, but since the absolute main ingredient is broccoli (a favorite of mine...and one of anthony's worst enemies...) i had to wait for a night that we weren't going to be eating together.  and then came a snowstorm...and we were stranded in our homes on two opposite sides of town.

so i made soup.


creamy broccoli soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch broccoli florets, roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced (about 7 cups)
*you'll see 2 packages from trader joe's in the picture.  i underestimated joe apparently, and only needed one package.
1 large russet potato (about 8 ounces) peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
2 ounces sharp white cheddar grated (about ½ cup)
*i bought english cheddar with caramelized onion.  YUM*
bagel chips, for serving


heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. add the onion and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft (4-6 minutes).  *as you can see from the picture, i was quite liberal with my red pepper flakes.  the recipe calls for 1/8 a teaspoon.  there's at minimum a tablespoon in there...probably more.

add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil.

reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender (18-20 min)

in a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water if necessary (alternately use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan.)

top with the cheddar and bagel chips if desired before serving

did i like this soup?  absolutely.  i liked the unexpected spiciness of the crushed red pepper flakes.  they added an element to the mix that i adored.  the cheese was just enough, and the bagel chips...they were a nice addition.

it's not my favorite.  but i'd make it again, in addition to an entree most likely.  it's not a stand-alone meal in my opinion like some other soups i make.  but it's a really yummy broccoli soup.  :)


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1 comment:

Debbie said...

That does sound good and I've actually been craving broccoli soup. Thanks for the recipe.