Normally on April 15th in my corner of the world, we are looking at daffodils in bloom and looking forward to the rest of the spring to come. Instead, here’s was the view outside my door today!
We’ve had two days of freezing rain and snow here, which is unusual for this time of year. If you saw my Instagram post from three days ago, you would have read that Mother Nature has not yet turned her calendar to spring in my city. It’s been cold, but for the last two days, Mother Nature has sent us some unrelenting and unwelcome winter weather. So, for me, that means it’s still time for comfort food and so soup is once again on the stove!
I have this great recipe for low-fat cream of broccoli soup that I have been making for more than 20 years. It calls for skim milk, chicken broth and flour as the thickening agent instead of cream. It is delicious, but about 3 years ago I wanted to reduce the number of steps in the recipe, and eliminate the dairy and flour to make it more friendly for one of my family members who follows a gluten-free and lactose-free diet. So, I experimented with simply cooking a bunch of vegetables in chicken broth and using an immersion blender to make the soup smooth and thick. The result is a ridiculously easy dish that you can eat for casual lunches at home or even serve for dinner guests by dressing up the bowls with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, some croutons, and a sprig of fresh herbs. Be sure to use a good quality broth if you don’t make your own. I like Rachel Ray’s Chicken Broth. It’s tasty, lower in sodium than many brands and doesn’t have a bunch of scary multi-syllabic ingredients. (Always read your food labels!) My recipe is below and here on the Recipes page. As I said, it’s ridiculously easy! And, if you are short on time, opt for pre-cut vegetables from your grocery store. Give it a try and be creative with the veggies and seasonings you like. Have a look in your fridge and see what version you can come up with…I’d love to hear about it! Happy Cooking, friends!
Easy Veggie Medley Soup by Everyday Home Gourmet
You won’t believe how easy and delicious this recipe is…a great way to add more vegetables to your everyday meals and easy to dress up for company. If you’re short on time, opt for pre-cut vegetables from your grocery store.
Ingredients
- 2 large celery stalks, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 small broccoli, chopped
- 1 small cauliflower, chopped
- 1 8-oz bag of matchstick carrots (approx 4 cups) (this cut of carrots saves chopping and cooking time!)
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- Baby spinach leaves, approx 5 ounces or 4 cups
- 1 litre or so of good quality chicken broth
- ¼ cup shredded cooked chicken (optional)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp sea salt (used smoked sea salt, if you have it)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Directions
- Heat butter or oil in soup pot. Add celery and onion. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes
- Add all vegetables and cover with broth. (In order for the soup to have some thickness, broth should be just cover the vegetables)
- Simmer until vegetables are soft (usually 10 to 12 minutes)
- Once vegetables feel soft when tested with a fork, use immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency
- Add chicken, if using, season to taste, stir and serve
Variations: Use any vegetables or seasonings you like! For a completely vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth instead
posted by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/
Every Day Home Gourmet 
I’m planting zucchini this year so it’s good to have another recipe where this vegetable will come in handy.
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Wonderful! And let’s not forget Fritelle di Fiori di Zucca (Fried Zucchini Flowers)….so delicious! Happy Cooking – thanks for the reply!
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