Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

Name: How to cook Broccoli & Asparagus Soup - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

Natalie Marten (Windsor__Foodie)

Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

When you have a head of broccoli, instead of throwing away the stalks, why not try making a beautiful soup with them instead? The stalks actually have a strong flavour and work perfectly in soups. Here I've paired it with some wonderful seasonal asparagus and some salty crispy bacon.

Ingredient

Food ration :

2 servings

1/3

rd a head of broccoli florets,

230 ml

boiled water (filtered if possible),

spears of asparagus, very ends trimmed off,

200 ml

milk or dairy free alternative, (I used almond milk),

1/2

Vegetable stock cube,

1 tbsp

olive oil,

1/2

an onion chopped finely,

2 rashers

crispy fried bacon (optional)

2 tbsp

crème fraiche or fat free quark,

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil,

hand blender / blender

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Add the vegetable stock to the boiling water and stir through to dissolve. Add to a saucepan over a high heat and then place in all of the broccoli stalks. Bring to a boil and cook for around 7 minutes. Next add in the florets and continue to boil.

* Step 2

In a frying pan, add in the olive oil and once hot sear the asparagus and the chopped onion until it gets a bit of colour and the asparagus is slightly charred. Remove from the heat. Remove the asparagus, chop it up into smaller pieces and add it in with the broccoli. Set aside the onions for the time being.

* Step 3

Boil the broccoli until the stalks are nice and soft and the water has reduced down by about half. Season well with salt and a pinch of white pepper to taste.

* Step 4

Add the cooked onions in with the broccoli and asparagus. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.

* Step 5

Using a hand blender or regular blender, blend until nice and smooth and no large lumps remain. Add in half the milk and blend again until a smoother texture is achieved. Add the remaining milk, blend one final time until velvety smooth.

* Step 6

For the garnish I like to fry up some bacon until crispy, then sprinkle on top with some crème fraiche or fat free quark, and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil then a few sprigs of fresh parsley leaves. Then a final grind of black pepper and salt to taste. Enjoy!