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. :)
