Here I am, crying like crocodiles after all these days of eating! I don’t even have the courage to step up the scale! So instead, just to start the week with a light (but not mortifying!) menu I have planned to  have a serving  of soup a day, and see if by the end of the week those tears will dry up 😉 !   In my repertoire I  already have many different kind of soups (vegetable soup, orange butternut squash soup, dried porcini soup) but I wanted to try something new and so, after surfing around on Pinterest,  I found this appealing “Leeks,  Broccoli and Potatoes velvety soup” that fatally has been published in one of my favorite Italian food website www.GialloZafferano.it.  The curious thing is that to appeal me were not the ingredients (I definitely dislike raw broccoli), but the color and the consistency of this soup, and since it requires just 30 minutes to be prepared, and the quantity you get from the recipe it’s just enough for one family meal,  I thought to give it a try (even with a few alterations, that I couldn’t help to make!). After tasting it, I can tell I will totally suggest this family friendly dish, creamy and tasty, warm and light, and very very healthy: broccoli has a ton of properties good for us, so the more we eat, the best it is!

4 servings INGREDIENTS 

1 lb. broccoli

3 medium sized potatoes (I like the red ones)

1 medium sized leek

3 cups water plus a vegetable bouillon OR 3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbs. olive oil

dried or fresh thyme to taste

optional: a pinch of white pepper (this was mentioned in the original recipe, but I skipped this ingredient and it doesn’t effect the great taste of the soup)

optional: croutons or baked bread cubes

DIRECTIONS:

First of all, wash the broccoli and divide the heads form the steams. Wash the leek, and cut it, peel and wash the potatoes and slice them in little cubes.

In a capacious pot, at medium heat, add 2 tbs. olive oil, and the leek, and let it sauté for few minutes: it has to change color but not get too brown. Then add the potatoes cubes and let cook for few more minutes. Finally add the broccoli heads, and let the mix cook at medium heat for few minutes, stirring at time to avoid it to stick to the pan or burn.

Add the vegetable stock (or the vegetable bouillon with water) and the thyme, and let cook covered for about 30 minutes (when the soups starts boiling, put it at lower heat). I warn you:  the quantity of water in comparison to the quantity of veggies will seem too little, but that’s because this dish, more than a “simple soup” is a VELVETY SOUP, so it will turn out extremely dense and full-bodied. If you prefer it more diluted, add one more cup of stock or water.

When the soup is done, blend it, sprinkle it with white pepper (optional), and serve with your favorite croutons (or baked seasoned bread cubs). And please let me know if you tasted or not the broccoli flavor (I didn’t).

LEARNT IT, MADE IT, LOVED IT!

TIPS: – I absolutely hate wasting food in my kitchen, so please, DON’T THROW AWAY the broccoli steams: you can use them in cubes in another vegetable soup, or steam them and serve with Italian dressing or cut in little discs and fry: so many options!

–  If covered the soup could last few days in the refrigerator but the recipe serves 4 people so probably you will not have leftovers !

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Much thanks,

Silvia