Eat broccoli often—it’s high in antioxidants and packed with nutrients. This soup can be served warm, or chilled.
6 first-course servings (about 1 cup each)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds broccoli, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3½ cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
½ cup fat-free half-and-half or fat-free milk
Salt and white pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1½ cups Croutons (½ recipe, see p. 532)
1. Sauté onion and garlic in lightly greased saucepan until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli, thyme, and nutmeg; cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth to saucepan and heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half-and-half.
2. Process soup in food processor or blender until smooth; season to taste with salt and white pepper. Stir 1 tablespoon sour cream into each bowl of soup; sprinkle with Croutons.
Per Serving:
Calories: 99
% of calories from fat: 9
Fat (gm): 1.1
Saturated fat (gm): 0.2
Cholesterol (mg): 0
Sodium (mg): 110
Protein (gm): 6.8
Carbohydrate (gm): 17.6
Exchanges:
Milk: 0.0
Vegetable: 2.0
Fruit: 0.0
Bread: 0.5
Meat: 0.0
Fat: 0.0
VARIATIONS
Dilled Broccoli Soup — Make recipe as above, deleting thyme, nutmeg, and Croutons (see p. 532). Add ⅔ cup loosely packed fresh dill weed to soup when pureeing.
Broccoli-Kale Soup — Make recipe as above, increasing broth to 5 cups, adding ½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves and deleting the half-and-half, Croutons (see p. 532), and nutmeg. Stir 2 cups lightly packed kale into the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Process as above, adding more broth as needed for desired consistency.