McClung's Magazine

By: Colleen Kirley

Here is a recipe to keep you warm after a bitter cold walk from school. This soup reminds me of a fresher, healthier version of cream of broccoli soup.

BROCCOLI-POTATO SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS
(and hummus on the side):

A step-by-step guide

For Soup:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspon of dried tarragon
salt and pepper
6 cups of vegetable stock
2 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 cups of broccoli chopped
1/4 cup of fresh dill
1/4 cup of fresh mint

For Hummus:
1 can of chick peas
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
water (add as little or as much for desired consistency)
salt and pepper
Paprika

Shopping:

Most of the spices I found at House of Spice in Kensington Market. The fresh herbs were bought in the market as well and can be found most places where vegetables are sold.

Cooking:

Hummus:
Place half of the chick peas and oil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to stir with a spatula. Add the remaining chickpeas and oil when it looks creamy. You can also add the lemon juice, garic and salt. Chill 30 minutes before serving.
Serve garnished with paprika.

Soup:
Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes (until onions are soft). Add the garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute.

Next add the vegetable stock and potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup starts boiling, lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the broccoli and cook for another 15 minutes.

Next use an immersion blender to blend the soup. If you don’t have one (like me), you can just pour the soup into a blender, puree, and pour back into the pot.

Next add the fresh dill and mint. Let the soup stand for 10 minutes to let all the flavour come out.

The Review:

I, along with my roommates, loved this soup. It was so hearty and flavourful that I couldn’t believed I just made it. The pureed potatoes were so creamy, it tasted like a cream soup. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!

The hummus, however, was a different story. Hopefully you will have more luck with it than I did. Maybe I just need some practice…