Autumn is the perfect weather for soups. Its not so cold that I’m craving spicy chillis, toad in the hole or stew and dumplings, but its cold enough to want warm and comforting. I try to avoid too much heavy food pre-December (I have a gorgeous 21st dress to squeeze into!) so soups are perfect. They’re also great for two things;
- Getting loads of veg into my diet.
- Using up odds and ends in my fridge that my meal plan means would otherwise go to waste.
This soup is super-easy, super-green and super-healthy. It’s also pretty much ready in thirty minutes – although you will have to be careful if you blend it with a hand blender straight away, as if the liquid is too hot it will burn. I found this out the hard way! My amounts also made six really generous servings. I’ve eaten this as it is for lunch, topped with bacon and served with cheese-on-toast for dinner, and have also added blue cheese to add a little naughtiness. Any leftover creme fraiche or cream mixed in doesn’t go amiss. And it freeze super well too, reheating from frozen in the microwave. Strong in flavor but not overwhelmingly green (my biggest tip is to avoid overcooking the broccoli!), this is a soup which has firmly pushed itself into my rotation. I highly suggest you try it!
Ingredients
- 1 whole head of brocoli. Florets in big chunks, all of the stalk into finer chunks
- 3 sticks of celery, chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/2 a bag of kale
- 1 pint of veg stock
- Seasoning – salt, pepper, a few herbs if you have any (I added a teeny bit of thyme)
Start by frying the onion and celery in a little oil. You don’t need to soften it too much, just a little. You can do this whilst you prep the brocoli. Add the broccoli and the kale, top with the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Don’t boil vigorous or you’ll have a horrible veg smell filling the kitchen.
Leave to cool for as long as you possibly can, then blender to a smooth consistency. Reheat and season to taste. Portion out, freeze, or eat. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days too, especially if you don’t add cream.
Serve with some good bread. And any other toppings that take your fancy. I highly recommend a crumble of blue cheese!
Now a cheeky request- I’d love it if you could vote for me in the 2015 UK Blog Awards. I’m lucky enough be in the Food, Young Bloggers (not too sure where this entry is) and Lifestyle categories! Now, if you vote for me I’ll post out cake…
What’s your favorite soup?