I learned something from my whole CSA experience. It turns out that dropping frozen broccoli into a simmering base for soup is the best way use broccoli in soup! So, what I do is steam broccoli and store it in the freezer in 1 cup portions so that when I need it, I am all set.
Here is my cream of broccoli soup. It’s great on a very cold winter day like today or any day.
makes 3 to 4 bowls
1 onion
1 parsnip
1 leek
1 russet potato
2 cups frozen broccoli *
2 cups vegetable stock (homemade is best or buy low sodium, or water)
1 cup plant milk (homemade is best, cashew, oat or almond work great!)
Olive oil, for sautéing
S and P
*If you don’t have frozen broccoli, go ahead and steam the broccoli separately and then drop it into the soup when it comes time.
You can either prep your mise en place before hand or you can chop and drop, which I like to do with this soup because it gives the onions time to cook.
Roughly chop the onion and, in a soup pot, sauté in olive oil until soft.
Peel and chop the parsnip and add to the pot.
Clean and chop the leek and add to the pot.
Peel and chop the potato and add to the pot.
Add the stock and milk and cook until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the broccoli and cook until warmed through, another minute or two
Use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. (Note, potatoes become gummy in the Vitamix, so go for an immersion blender or regular blender. If you use a regular blender, let the soup cool a bit and be sure to cover the top with a towel and start on low.)
Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!