It is a grey and wet day outside and I have been in a cooking frenzy all morning. I've turned out a huge pot of cooked salsa, which tastes pretty phenomenal and will be tomorrow's blog, as well as a lovely pot of the most psychedelic green broccoli soup I have ever seen! (The color kind of stops you in your tracks and might remind of your last babysitting job that you didn't get paid enough for.....wooooo) Don't let that scare you from trying this absolutely delicious and, more importantly, healthful soup!
Aside from all of the lovely health benefits of the cruciferous powerhouse that is broccoli, this is an incredibly frugal meal as well. The short list of inexpensive ingredients come together to create cooking alchemy - the best kind! The goal was to create a creamy soup without the cream (and its fat, cholesterol and calories.) The velvety texture of this soup is a triumphant feat! And since this is a recipe blog I'm going to have to reveal the secret, but all in due time....
As with most soups, this one tastes even better the next day. In fact, I just finished a bowl leftover from yesterday while a new pot was on the stove. I was so excited to post this one I still have my Cafe du Monde apron on! Can't cook without it........ Oh, and that crazy green color? It's just the small dose of curry and turmeric which give a very subtle exotic flair to this low-fat, cheap-cheap wonder. ENJOY!
ONE MEAN GREEN SOUP
2 TBS buttery spread
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bunch broccoli, tough bottom stems trimmed off, coarsely chopped
sea salt and pepper
6 cups water
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 TBS plain hummus, heaping
1. Melt the spread and olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add the chopped onion and broccoli and a little sea salt and pepper. Stir to coat the veggies in oil. Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broccoli and onions have softened. Add the 6 cups of water, the curry powder and turmeric. Now add 3 heaping TBS of hummus. This helps add a creamy, velvety texture to your finished soup. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, This should take about 10 minutes.
2. When the soup is boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook at a medium boil for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until broccoli is soft. Taste for seasonings. Now, you should probably let it cool just a bit before transferring it to your blender, in two batches if you have to do so. Make sure you cover the blender with a dishtowel and hold that lid on tightly - this is hot soup here! (Lucky folks who own an immersion blender will have an easy time with this.) Blend until completely smooth and transfer to a clean pot. Taste for seasonings.
3. Reheat slightly if necessary. Serve garnished with garlic crostini or croutons if desired. Makes about 5 nice size bowls. :)
Take Care! Lorrie
