Whether the weather is nippy or cold and you’d like a dish to warm you up, soup is a delicious way to a enjoy food that will love you back. Typically based on two of nature’s healthiest food groups—vegetables and legumes (sometimes called pulses)—there is no limit to the delectable combinations you can create—all the while taking in disease-fighting phytonutrients, fiber, minerals and vitamins. As an added bonus for weight watchers, research shows that eating soup before a meal leads to fewer calories consumed overall. Perhaps, best of all, soups are so easy to throw together!
Another tip for losing some weight is leaving out the oil. You can make any soup oil free by sauteeing onions in water, vegetable broth, plant-based milk, or even juice (like tomato). Here one to get you started. Bon appetit!
HEARTY BROCCOLI SOUP
Rinse 1 large bunch of broccoli (about 6-8 cups raw when chopped, including stems). Peel and chop a medium to large potato. In a pot of boiling water, add the potato pieces first. Cook for 5-6 minutes until almost tender. Then you can add the broccoli to lightly cook until tender (about 2-3 minutes). Drain the water.
Place 2/3 of the broccoli in a large blender container. Set the other 1/3 aside in a big bowl. Add half of the potato to the blender and set the other half aside. Chop 1 medium onion and add 1/2 to the blender; set the other half aside. Also add to the blender: 1 ½ cups of cooked white beans (canned beans are fine), 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp basil, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 2 cups vegetable broth and 3 cloves of garlic.
Process the blender ingredients until thick and smooth. This works best in a high speed blender. You want this mixture to be silky and creamy.
Pour the blender soup into a large pot. Then stir in the veggies you set aside in a large bowl. Also add in one bay leaf. Stir as you bring to a slow boil—then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer at least for 5 minutes. If adding pasta (1 cup), stir in the cooked pasta just before serving so it does not get too mushy. The soup will be ready to serve now or you can simmer longer for a thicker soup consistency and more developed flavors.
Serve warm with additional nutritional yeast flakes and/or paprika on top.
Hearty Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups of raw broccoli chopped
- 1 medium to large potato peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Rinse 1 large bunch of broccoli (about 6-8 cups raw when chopped, including stems).
- Peel and chop a medium to large potato.
- In a pot of boiling water, add the potato pieces first. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender.
- Add the broccoli to lightly cook until tender--about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the water.
- Place 2/3 of the broccoli in a large blender container. Set the other 1/3 aside in a big bowl.
- Add half the potato to the blender and set the other half aside.
- Chop the onion and add half of the pieces to the blender.
- Also add the following ingredients to the blender-- the beans, nutritional yeast, basil, salt, paprika, vegetable broth and garlic.
- Process the blender ingredients until thick and smooth. This works best in a high speed blender.
- Pour the blender contents into a large pot. Stir in the veggies you had previously set aside. Also add in the bay leaf.
- Stir as you bring the soup to a slow boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 5 minutes.
- If you would like to add some whole grain pasta, stir cooked pasta in just before serving so it doesn't get mushy. The soup will be ready to serve now or you can simmer longer for a thicker soup consistency.
