Broccoli and Artichoke Soup
Buy a good blender. I use a Vitamix for all our soups. It is a kitchen appliance that will stay with you for a long time and allows you to make some incredible recipes that are simply not possible without one. Take for example, this velvety creamy soup, with no cream or milk.
Ingredients
- ¾ lbs broccoli
- ¾ lbs artichoke hearts – easiest to use frozen or canned
- 1 small white or yellow onion – diced
- 1-2 carrots – peeled and diced
- 2 pieces of celery – sliced
- 2 ½ TBSP of Olive Oil
- 1 qt of vegetable or chicken stock
Seasoning:
- 1 bay leaf,
- 1 tsp whole cumin seed
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp fresh ginger – peeled and finely sliced or grated
- Salt and Pepper
- Garnish with paprika and olive oil
Directions
Place medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery and sauté’ for 3-5 minutes. Add cumin seed, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add broccoli, artichoke hearts, bay leaf, and stock to the pot. Bring to simmer and let cook for 20 minutes until the vegetable are tender. Remove the bay leaf. At this point transfer the soup to a blender and blend until absolutely smooth. You may need to do this in batches. You can also use a stick blender if you like. I find a high power blender works best to create a velvety smooth creamy texture. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan; thin the soup to desired consistency with more stock or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the finished soup into bowls and garnish. For a nice meal serve soup with some crusty artisanal bread drizzled with olive oil or spread with goat cheese.