Broccoli Soup with a boost!

 There is spinach in this soup?? Sneaky....  ; )

Broccoli soup is a  c l a s s i c - adding a little spinach makes this soup even better!

Since broccoli is full of fiber and spinach is a good source of iron that means this bowl is bursting with nutrition! Its a good way to sneak in some veggies...I'm sure the spinach eating rebel in your life won't even notice ;)

I was tempted to toss in some carrots or cauliflower but I was a good girl and stuck (more or less) to the recipe. I decided if I wanted to add anything the next time then I could. Besides, I was looking for a basic broccoli soup to go with the Artisan loaves I made earlier that day. (SOOOO good!)

I found this recipe at Streaming Gourmet. I adjusted some of the ingredients to my personal preference which I indicated... but feel free to use what ever you've got in your kitchen.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp butter (I used 1.5 tbs)
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (I had two small on hand, so I used them)
5 cups broccoli florets (I used  3 spears)
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup raw baby spinach leaves (packed), (I used 1 cup frozen spinach)
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used about 2/3 cup fat free sour cream)

Method
1. Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sautée gently until softened and translucent – about 3 minutes.

2. Add potato, broccoli and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and baby spinach leaves. The heat from the soup will wilt the leaves down right away.

3. Let the soup cool a bit before adding it in batches to a blender. Return soup to pan through a strainer. Not all of the contents will make it through the strainer. Reserve the thick parts that won’t strain and put them back into the blender. Then pour back into the soup.

4. While reheating soup gently, add cream. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once soup is hot again (but not boiling!) whisk in sour cream and blend completely.

5. Serve with a garnish of parsley or mini broccoli spears or a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese or even another dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!



Variations:

• Both my mom and sister loved it! My sister suggested to leave it a little chunkier (but I guess this is just personal preference).
• I topped it with shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon. You could also try diced ham.
• Try adding other vegetables to give it different flavors, or more of one type - ie. more potatoes.
• If you like spices a dash of nutmeg might be good.
• If you like a cheesier broccoli soup go ahead, add a whole bag of cheddar! :)

Nutritional Info:
(4 servings - based on original ingredients - full fat versions)
Calories 293,  Fat 21.3g, Carbs 21.7g, Protein 7g
Fiber 4.4g,  Vitamin A 35%,  Vitamin C 186%,  Calcium 14%, Iron 8%