As you may know, or may not know, recently I am tired almost all.the.time. It feels that I don’t have any real control over my body and I never know when it will just refuse cooperation. Regardless of how I feel I need to eat and so soups, stews and such became my best friends. These dishes not only cook easily, there is only one pot to clean, but also they can be frozen and reheated later. Nothing better than that for a tired and swollen person.
Preparing cream soups usually can be done following few steps that you can find in this recipe of asparagus soup (just use vegetables of your choice). I guarantee the result will be always creamy and delicious. The broccoli soup recipe I am sharing with you today is also creamy and delicious but also somewhat lighter. And the green color is so beautiful. And just think about all those vitamins and minerals in the soup! I am feeling like Popeye already!
Recipe was adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. One note on that – until recently access to recipes posted on America’s Test Kitchen website was paid (and worth every penny). The rules have changed now though and you can create a free account that will give you free access to recipes and videos from the most recent season of their two TV shows. I am also under impression that you can access recipes from the last issue of the magazine, but don’t quote me on that. Anyway, I think it is worth the trouble of registration.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 2 lbs broccoli
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 1.5 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 oz baby spinach
- 3 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 1.5 oz Parmesan cheese + some extra for serving
Instructions:
- Chop vegetables: onion and broccoli (for broccoli use both, florets and stems; stems need to be trimmed and peeled first).
- In large (7.5QT works well) Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat.
- Add chopped broccoli and onion. Stir well.
- Add garlic, pressed through garlic press.
- Add dry mustard powder, pinch of cayenne pepper and salt.
- Cook for ~6 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 1 cup of water and baking soda, mix well.
- Bring to simmer, cover and cook for ~20 minutes.
- Once broccoli is cooked and soft add chicken broth and 2 remaining cups of water, mix and bring to simmer.
- Add spinach, mix and cook for ~1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Add cheddar and Parmesan and using immersion blender process until smooth or until desired consistency.
- Return the pot to heat and bring to simmer.
- Taste and season if needed.
- Serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top.
- Enjoy!
Yield: ~8 cups
Nutritional Info (per cup): Cal 141, Prot 9g, Carb 11g, Fat 8g, Fiber 3.4g
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Hi, interesting recipe, but why do you add the baking soda to the soup? Greetings, Hanna
Hi! So sorry for not getting back to you earlier. Baby took me over during these last two weeks! Baking soda added to vegetables makes them cook/become tender quicker, and this is one reason. The other thing is that by reacting with sulfurous compounds of broccoli it helps them to dissipate and by doing that other flavors become more prominent.
Yuuum, and broccoli is so good for you too isn’t it?
Yes it is! It is a win win 🙂