FOR THE LOVE OF BROCCOLI

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Three old recipes, and a new one for you today. We have broccoli at least once weekly, and these are the recipes in rotation because we never get tired of them. Contrary to many people, we are not too wild about simply roasting broccoli because for my taste it gets a little too harsh and bitter. I much rather enjoy it in different ways, although if you invite me over for dinner and serve me roasted broccoli, I will lick my plate clean, no worries. Let’s start with the new recipe, a super simple Broccoli Soup. No cream, no special ingredients, it is simple, light and delicious…

LIGHT BROCCOLI SOUP

LOW-FAT BROCCOLI SOUP
(slightly adapted from The Spruce Eats)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup almond or oat milk

Heat oil on medium heat in a large stockpot. Sauté the shallot and celery for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the cubed potato, broccoli, broth, and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Allow the soup to cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth in two batches. Return the blended soup to the pot and heat gently until ready to serve.

Top with croutons or sautéed almonds, whatever your heart desires.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: So far I’ve made this soup three times, and it’s been perfect each time. It has a very creamy texture, maybe it is that small amount of potato speaking. Truly magical. Try it, if you want a light but luscious soup for your dinner. Now moving on to the three oldies but goodies…

SMASHED BROCCOLI WITH CHEESE

This was originally posted last year (check the post here). It was already in the Incredibly Simple files, but I simplified it further by steaming the broccoli in the microwave, using a plastic cover recommended by my friend Marie Louise (click here to see it). I place the florets in a microwave-safe plate, with just enough water clinging to the surface from washing the florets. Place the over on top and steam for 1 minute. If already getting tender, I proceed with the smashing and roasting with cheese as described in the post. If still too tough, hear a few more seconds in the microwave.

PAN-STEAMED BROCCOLI, ANY WAY YOU LIKE

Basic method described in this post. I usually keep it super simple. In the final 3 minutes of cooking I whisk a little olive oil with lemon juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle some salt. When the broccoli comes out of the pan, into a serving bowl it goes, and my little dressing is poured on top while the broccoli florets are super hot still. How often can you have a flavorful side dish that is ready in…. 8 minutes total? You can season it in the end in countless ways – miso, as in my post, vinaigrettes, sesame oil, anything goes.

BROCCOLI PUREE A LA JACQUES PEPIN

Not the best picture I’ve ever taken, but this is truly delicious and I make it often. The original post is from 2014, so yes, I’ve been making it for 10 years (click here for full recipe). I now omit the brown butter and after cooking the broccoli florets until tender in salted water, I process them with full-fat yogurt, salt, pepper, and if needed a bit of the cooking water. I rarely need the water, usually I just adjust the consistency with yogurt. The spinach goes into the processor raw. I eye-ball everything, taste as I go. Once the consistency is right and the seasoning to my liking, it goes into a serving dish. If I want a little more richness, I sprinkle cheese on top and bake it until the cheese melts a bit.

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3Jan2015

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

Posted in Soups by sallybr

This soup was quite a revelation for me, because it tasted amazing even though it called for very few, humble ingredients. No need to search for black truffles in a jar to make it, although I must say the flavor was so complex that I wondered if truffles had been hanging out around that broccoli at harvest time. Nah…. Just my overly vivid imagination. The inspiration came once more from Mike, the man behind The Iron You. I’ve been a reader of his blog for only a few months, but that is long enough to realize his taste in food matches ours quite well. On a side note, for those into special nutrition, this concoction is paleo-friendly and low-carb.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH TOASTED ALMONDS
(modified from The Iron You)

1 ½ lbs broccoli cut into florets
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 leek stalk, thinly sliced
3 small celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk
dash of ground nutmeg
slivered almonds slightly browned in olive oil
.
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery, garlic, a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring every now and then, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the broccoli florets are tender, about 15 minutes. Add coconut milk, give a good stir and cook for further 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg and mix well.
.
Transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches, or use an immersion blender if you prefer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, maybe a little more nutmeg. If the soup is too thick add a bit of water; if instead it’s too thin cook until it reaches the desired consistency.
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Serve warm with sautéed almonds on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For some reason I don’t make soups that often, but whenever I do, I feel quite virtuous… I prepared this particular recipe early in the morning and had it for lunch after running. It was a bright sunny day, but quite cold, maybe 40 F with a little wind. The soup was like a warm hug, soothing and energizing at the same time. I highly recommend it after a workout. There’s something about the creaminess offered by the coconut milk that will make you feel on top of the world. Vivid imagination, you say? 😉

Mike, thanks for the constant culinary inspiration!

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27Sep2010

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Fall is almost here, bringing soup to my mind. But the temperatures are far from dropping, in fact we are cruising along a nice indian summer, with the thermometers showing high 80’s and even mid 90’s. In tune with the weather, this broccoli soup can be enjoyed hot or cold, is quick to prepare, and very good for you: low fat, low carb, but won’t make you go into starvation-response 30 minutes later… 😉

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP
(reprinted with permission from Mark Bittman‘s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times)

2 cups broccoli florets
3 cups chicken stock (I substituted water)
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
1 cup yogurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
slivered almonds (optional)

Combine the broccoli and stock in a saucepan and simmer until tender (about 10 minutes). During the final minute of cooking, drop the garlic in the pan.

Puree the contents of the pan in a blender until very smooth, working in batches if needed (and be careful blending hot liquids, don’t fill your blender’s cup too much). Once the soup is fully pureed, add yogurt and reheat very gently, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper.

If desired, top the soup with slivered almonds, or croutons.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Mr. Bittman says you can use leftover broccoli cooked by any method as a starting point for this soup. Remove excessive dressing or sauce, boil some stock, add the garlic and the cooked broccoli together for a couple of minutes, then proceed with the recipe. Instead of yogurt, you can finish it with milk or cream, but of course those will increase the fat content. I made this soup to take to work for lunch, so I kept it as light as possible, just added some slivered almonds for extra crunch.

ONE YEAR AGO: Marbled Rye