Broccoli Soup

Ah the humble soup. Previously rather under appreciated in our household, I have recently been caught in the midst of a wee obsession with this unassuming appetizer.  A handy way to use up any left over vege and the best excuse for whipping out the ol’ hand blender (I would blitz all my food if I could – I can’t wait to be old), soup has become a treasured friend in times of culinary laziness (so rather often!).

Not a fan of chunky soups, I follow the same steps each time, ending with a good zap of the hand blender and they always turn out amazing.  Whack in some pesto, or sprinkle on some toasted nuts and you look like a proper professional without the least bit of effort!

Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 med onion, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

Vegetable stock

Salt & pepper to taste

Soy cream or toasted almonds for decoration

Method

Sweat off the onions and garlic in a deep pot by frying them in a good bit of olive oil for 4-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and broccoli and fry together for a few minutes.

Add enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. 

Simmer until the potatoes are cooked, let cool and then go at it with a hand blender until nice and smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste and heat until hot enough to serve.

Sprinkle with toasted almonds and/or a dollop of soy cream.

Note:  For a different soup, just swap vegetables.  Current favourites include leek & potato, carrot & orange, and curried squash, yum!