Soup and salad seems a wonderful way to welcome spring. But not just any soup. Spring calls for something green. One of my favorites is cream of broccoli soup. It's fairly quick, super easy and it just screams spring when paired with a fresh green salad. I like to combine baby spinach, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, a creamy dressing and a touch of bacon as the partner in this meal.
Ideally, you can blend the soup using an immersion blender so that you don't need to transfer hot soup to a blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, I highly recommend letting the soup cool for a while before blending it and then reheating it when you return it to the stove. To minimize risk of injury, blend it in at least two batches.
As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at . Enjoy!
Cream of Broccoli Soup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 can evaporated skim milk
- 1 cup half and half
Heat the butter and olive oil together in a stock pot over medium heat until melted and hot. Add the onion and broccoli and sauté until the onion is softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the broccoli is soft. Add the evaporated skim milk and half and half and blend the mixer with an immersion blender or pour it into a traditional blender and process until smooth. Serve hot sprinkled with shredded sharp cheese and bacon, if desired.
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes, plus simmering time