I’ve been slacking on my nutrition lately.
I know, I know. Thecold hard truthis I’ve had afew too manyfistfuls ofsugary candy, decadent chocolate and gorgeous carbs, andI don’t mean the whole or multigrain variety either. I’m referring tothose delicious white devils. Look, we all know the road to hell is paved withgood intentions, and the path to type two diabetesis a slippery slope. It’s also possible I added my own little twist at the end there, which is par for the coursewith me.
To be clear, I amin no danger of becoming diabetic; certainlynot from a few nights and weekendsof excess. It takes more time and dedication than that, and I can be somewhatidle when I set my mind to it. Hello Pajama Day, you beautiful, beautiful thing. Plus,we all know my one true love is veggies and cheese and potatoes and fruit and… crap, I get around.Oh well, at least I adore whole foods in all theirshining glory.It’s easy to avoid diabetes when the healthy stuff gets your motor running.
So you’re probablywondering why I’m revealing my less than savory ways,to which I’d respond, “Great inquiry, andmy answer is three-fold.”
First, TMI (Too Much Information)ismy new middle name.Case in point,I had a Fifty Shades of Hubbydreamthis weekend, and it still has me smiling.
My second and more tactful reason isI’m a lot like YOU and sometimes I struggle withmy food and fitness too.Shockingly enough,being a food blogger doesn’t automaticallymake methe perfect eater. In fact,it only meansI can afford the monthly website fee.
The third and most importantreason: it’s whyI added broccoli tomyclassic potato soup. When I find myselfgetting alittle lethargicwith my eat all the whole foods mentality, Ideliberately amp upmy fruit and veggieintake. Saturday night’s popcorn for dinner doesn’t count, even if I did make it on the stove, the old-fashioned way.
This Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup combines one of my absolute favorites, the simple, yet underappreciatedspud with two shades of green: broccoli and pesto. It’s an award-winning combination, minus the actual award because I haven’t brought it to any cooking contests…yet, that is.
It is amouth-watering bowl of nourishment which isHearty. Dense.Flavorful. And Filling. It will warm the co*ckles of your heart and tickle your toes. It will make you wish you’d tripled thebatch. Honestly, this magical concoctionis soincredible on its own, I didn’t even add any cheese, which says everything right there.In fact, depending onwhatpesto you use, this recipe couldqualify asvegan.
The parsley, the pine nuts, and the added green onions are more for presentation purposes than anything. The simple truth isthe Hubby and I inhaled thiswithout any of the accoutrements seen here. Sage colored soup can betrickyto photograph though andsometimes you need a little help from your friends, in the form of garnishes that is. I don’t mean the illegalmother’s little helper kind. Then again, pine nuts are pretty racy.
If you’re looking to warm up this winter, for something satisfying and gratifying orfor a good time, you’ll want to make this soup. It fits the bill on all accounts.
Creamy Potato Broccoli Soup with Pesto
2015-02-16 19:58:11
Serves 6
A healthy, hearty, dense, flavorful and filling potato soup with a nutritional boost in the form of broccoli and pesto.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion or roughly 1 cup, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Dry White Wine or Sherry
- 6 large Russet Potatoes, roughly 6 cups, peeled and chopped into one inch pieces
- 2 bunches of Broccoli or roughly 3 cups, chopped
- 4 cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 tsp. Pepper
- 1 cup Milk of choice*
- 3 Tbsp. Pesto
- Toasted Pine Nuts (Optional Garnish)
- Diced Green Onion (Optional Garnish)
- Bunch of Parsley (Optional Garnish)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large deep saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for a few minutes until translucent, about five minutes.
- Add white wine or sherry and cook for thirty seconds until it evaporates, stirring the entire time. Add the diced potatoes, broccoli, vegetable stock, salt and pepper and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and let cook another twenty five minutes until potatoes and broccoli are tender.
- Remove from heat, add one cup of milk and cream the soup using an immersion blender or by adding it to a blender in batches. Stir in pesto.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- *I used Silk Original Almond Milk.
- **If the consistency of the soup is too thick for you, you can always thin it with more milk. I only needed one cup.
By Meghan McCarthy
Clean Eats, Fast Feets http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/
Once upon a time Imentionedmost of my recipes happen on a whim, and thisparticular bowl of delightis no different. You know whyI broughtthe broccoli to the party, although the restcame about because it was damn cold out and Iwas looking forsomething to feed me now and again, later in the week. Also, I had a twenty pound bag of potatoes from Costco hanging out in my basem*nt, and the Hubby strongly encouraging me to work through my freezer supply of put up ingredients. Hello pesto from 2o13. The rest is history.
What’s yourpreferred soup flavor? Do youlike your soup creamy or chunky?
