Saturday, March 3, 2012

Creamy Broccoli & Kale Soup


Our bodies are really good at telling us when we need to slow down.  It seems to me that our minds that are the problem... always thinking about what's next, planning our to-do list, or scheming about some big project.  

This week my body has been telling me that it's time to slooow down.  I've definitely been pushing myself hard the last six weeks and after waking up with the beginning of a cold, I am finally listening to what my body needs.  My body wants more sleep, more time for relaxing, and a really good dinner.  What does your body want?




Regardless of what you think your body needs right now, I think your body needs this soup.  This soup is light, delicious, and surprisingly satisfying.  After blending it turns into a sweet, mellow soup that tastes like the freshest flavors of early spring in a bowl. (Don't worry. I know it's still winter. A girl can hope though.)

It is best served with sprinkle of salt and pepper over the top and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Maybe even a few herbs or watercress if you're feeling fancy.  I would also highly recommend eating it while curled up on your couch in a fuzzy blanket reading a good book.  At least, that's what my body wants.  

Creamy Broccoli and Kale Soup
Serves 4
Adapted from Whole Living Magazine

1 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch broccoli, chopped (6 cups)
1/2 bunch kale, chopped (4 cups)
2 Tablespoons tahini
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Add the broccoli and kale, turn heat to low, and let simmer for five minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in tahini.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  

Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).  

Squeeze lemon wedge over soup.  Serve hot.  

29 comments:

  1. that soup looks so fresh and delicious! i love that color of green ;)

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  2. This looks fantastic - I love the colour and the idea of using tahini in a soup!

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  3. AMAZING! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for not putting a potato in here. For letting the broccoli add it's own creaminess. And for the lemon zing. I love broccoli soup and often put fennel in it, but haven't tried it with kale...Now I'll have to!

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    1. lol. Potatoes are great in soup, but I agree that they are often overused for the "creamy" factor. I was super impressed with using some tahini instead. Let me know how it goes! :)

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  4. This soup looks so delicious! I have been eating a lot of kale lately and I really love it.

    -Lisa
    Thelovelymemoir.blogspot.com

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  5. Sonnet, Success once again! I made this soup this afternoon. It was so easy to throw together. Henry, the picky toddler, loved it! We learned this week that he is very low in iron, so the pediatrician said to push high iron and vitamin C foods (to help with the iron absorption). Any other suggestions for meals that would be packed with vitamins?

    This is a keeper in my recipe book!
    Megan

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    1. Hi Megan,
      That's so great that Henry enjoyed this! :) Any leafy green vegetables (especially kale, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, beet greens), beans, and lentils are great sources of iron. You could try a green smoothie (http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/2011/10/kale-smoothie-for-kids.html) with orange juice instead of apple juice for extra vitamin c. I do have lots of recipes here for sauteed kale and beet greens, but I'm not sure if that would be too hard for him to chew. I don't have it posted, but I'm currently working on a recipe for broccoli pesto. That would be super easy to mix in with pasta or rice. You could also try lentil loaf (http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/2011/11/lentil-loaf.html). Hopefully this helps! Let me know how it goes! :)

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    2. Probably the single highest fastest iron supplement is --- blackstrap molasses. For an adult, 1T a day. In hot water, at's a nice tea. I learned this from Adelle Davis, I think - many years ago. In 3-7 days, the iron is back up to normal. was my own experience - less than a week - that was many years ago

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  6. Do you know if this would work by putting all ingredients in the vitamix at once, to cut out the stove top step? Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hi Joanna, I haven't tried making it that way so I can't say for sure. I suppose you could skip cooking the onions and vegetables and make it a raw soup in the Vitamix, but that would definitely alter the flavor. If you try it out let me know how it goes! :)

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  7. What a healthy and delicious soup! Love the touch of tahini to give it a little nuttiness!

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  8. I have a Vitamix and would saute the onions and garlic w/the oil for the flavour..... I'm guessing you could probably put everything in after that and cook it like a lot of the other soups outlined in their instruction manual....it would not be raw if you pureed it long enough... I made it according to the recipe but will try cooking it in the Vitamix next time around.. good idea.

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  9. OMG Yum! I am a first time visitor and loving all of these recipes! thank you!

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    1. Thank YOU! I hope you like the blog! I just checked out your site/shop and I adore your jewelry, especially your rings! So pretty! :)

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  10. Just made this soup! I like to call it "health in a bowl". Simple and delicious..thanks for a great recipe. I am a first time visitor and am going to check out all your other delicious recipes and added you to my reader :)

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    1. Hi Mollie! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup! I love that title by the way. Hope you enjoy the blog and the recipes. ;)

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  11. So yum! I had a rough weekend stress and food-wise, this was perfect for a simple Monday night dinner.

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it! I hope your week gets better! :)

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  12. I want to make everything on your site! I am planning on making this soup among others tomorrow, thanks!

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    1. That's great! Let me know how it goes! :)

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  13. Was feeling under the weather, so I made this tonight. Love the flavor and it was super easy. Any recommendations on how to get it nice and smooth? I used an immersion blender for quite a while, but it's a bit leafy still. Is it just a matter of blending longer? Also, just stumbled onto your site and love the recipes! -Erin

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    1. I have a Vitamix so I always use it for blending soups. When I blend it, I usually divide the soup up into a few smaller batches to make sure everything gets blended. If you have a blender I would recommend this, but since you are using an immersion blender I would probably just say to blend it longer. I've had similar issues with immersion blenders where they just don't get things smooth enough so I usually go with the Vitamix. I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!

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  14. Can I freeze this soup?

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    1. I haven't tried it personally, but it should freeze ok. Let me know how it goes!

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  15. Easy and delicious... and have already made twice. I also squeezed in liberal amounts of lemon juice at the end. Thanks!

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  16. Can I use other greens, say romaine lettuce, instead of kale?

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    1. You could sub a hearty green like collard greens, but I don't think romaine would have a good flavor or hold up well in this soup.

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