Pureed Potato and Broccoli Soup
Charleston is covered in yellow dust causing my allergies to go a little nuts. All I want to do is frolick in the park with my 14 month old and take long lovely walks, but feel so crappy that I end up on the couch craving soup, not much fun. I will be giving in to allergy medicine as soon as the little one wakes up from her nap.
This is a lovely soup with simple and delicious ingredients all of which have been in my pantry and fridge for the past few months. It was even something that my daughter enjoyed eating, I am loving this new phase of her life that I can feed her leftovers of the meal from the night before and don’t have to prepare a separate little meal for her. 9 times out of 10 she’ll eat it with enthusiasm saying yum yum yum throughout the meal.
Pureed Potato and Broccoli Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and cleaned (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 small clove, cut in half
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes (russets or Yukon golds), peeled and cut in large dice
- A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and 2 sprigs each parsley and thyme
- 2 quarts water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 1 pound broccoli crowns, coarsely chopped
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and optional leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the chopped garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute, until fragrant. Add the potatoes, bouquet garni, water, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the broccoli, turn the heat up slightly to bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the broccoli is thoroughly tender but still bright. Remove the bouquet garni.
Blend the soup either with a hand blender, in batches in a blender (cover the top with a towel and hold it down to avoid hot splashes), or through a food mill fitted with the fine blade. For a silky texture, strain through a medium strainer set over a bowl, using a pestle or the bottom of a ladle to push the soup through. Return to the pot, taste and adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and heat through.
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