Broccoli Soup

I know I have instantly alienated a good chunk of you by posting a recipe for broccoli soup.  And if you had the same question as Mr. Hungy, no, this is not broccoli cheese soup, it is a very healthy soup.  So if I still have anyone’s attention, I will proceed. 

Our broccoli crop has been wonderful, but only so many times can I eat steamed broccoli in a week.  I had thrown it in pasta as well, but we still had an abundance that needed to be used before it got too big and bitter.  Hence the reason I started searching for recipes that would use a lot of broccoli at once.  When I found this recipe, I thought it would be pretty wonderful if it worked out because it would also be very healthy and looked easy.  So healthy that it is a part of a series of detox recipes from Whole Living.  Perfect for this time of year… hearty, but it won’t pack on the pounds.

By george, it worked... it was delicious, thick and creamy.  Instead of this soup being chock full of cream and cheese, it gets its thickness from cannellini beans.  This seemed odd to me at first, but after pureeing, it added a perfect thickness to the soup. 

Basically, if you can come around to the idea of broccoli soup, this is definitely the one to try.

Broccoli Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart, Whole Living

DISCLAIMER:  I tried this with the broccoli from my garden.  Broccoli grown from home is better than any broccoli I have bought from the grocery store.  The results might be similar, but I’m just sayin, the broccoli I started with was amazing and slightly sweet.
Ingredients
1 head of broccoli (1 lb.) cut into florets with stems thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1/2 ounce shaved parmesan for serving
Step by Step

Steam broccoli florets and stems until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup florets for serving.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for about 8 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add beans and stock and bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and add broccoli.  Use a stick blender to blend soup to a slightly chunky consistency. If you do not have a stick blender, allow soup to cool and blend in batches in a blender until you have a smooth consistency.   Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with broccoli florets, toasted pine nuts, and shaved Parmesan.

Freezes well or can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

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