cold weather is here to stay, so bring on the soup. at least once a week, we have a soup night. my freezer is filled with one and two servings of soups, that we enjoy for several months. here is a recipe from one of my favorite winter cookbooks. the ski house cookbook was published in 2007 and includes recipes for breakfast through desserts, including beverages. i have tried many of them and have always been pleased with the results.
this soup combines broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes. i would think that frozen vegetables would work, and in fact, this time i used frozen broccoli. in order to obtain a thick creamy consistency of the soup, i have only ever used fresh cauliflower. and, as usual, i decrease the amounts suggested in the recipe, since i am not feeding a crowd. also, it is necessary to use an immersion blender to cream the soup at the end. i would guess that a blender would work in batches, since this can be a tricky technique with hot liquids. maybe, even a hand mixer would work. i used my immersion blender and the results are perfect.
here is how i made this soup:
heat a soup pot over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons margarine. add one finely chopped yellow onion and soften for about six minutes. add one bag of frozen broccoli florets, along with 1/2 of a head of chopped fresh cauliflower, and 2 medium baking potatoes which have been peeled and sliced thinly. add 4 cups of chicken broth or a bit more to cover the vegetables. bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and cook on a simmer for 35 minutes.
remove from the heat and with an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth, adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fat-free half and half. for a richer soup, heavy cream could be used. season the soup with salt, pepper, or other favorites. i topped with a small spoon of fat-free sour cream. any usual potato soup toppings could be used.
hint and tip: the soup does require seasoning. these vegetables have little real taste when cooked. so, don’t be afraid to add any spices that you like, i have experimented and tried this soup with different flavors, and all have been tasty.
angel food garden 