(Creamless) Cream of Broccoli Soup

I needed more veggies in my life.  There's something about fresh homemade bread coming out of the oven every morning at the retreat that I just can't say no too. I think it's the fresh homemade part. With a smear of ghee and banana marmalade, oh it's all over from there. But life isn't all about bread. We need to mix things up with some fruit and vegetables. I have a tendency to use soup purely as a vehicle for nutrients. How much much fresh produce can I possibly pack into one bowl and still maintain beautiful texture and sublime taste? These are the things that go through my mind.

This is one for the books. I got this gem of a recipe from the great minds over at Green Kitchen Stories. If you haven't taken a look at their blog yet, please do. It's a mecca for foodies. They served this soup with a savory corn biscuit, I followed suit because life is still mostly about bread.

You can get the recipe for these biscuits on the link above, but let's get back to the soup.

Packed with green goodness, over half a kilo of broccoli to be exact, a serious splash of coconut milk contributes to the creamy texture, and is complimented nicely by a little spice from dried red chili and fresh basil. The flavors are so simplistic, but great food really doesn't need much dressing up. My favorite recipes contain less than ten ingredients and can be made in under 30 minutes. This definitely falls into that category.

(Creamless) Cream of Broccoli Soup serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a side

•  2 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small yellow onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
•  pinch of dried red chili flakes
• 600 g broccoli, florets and stems
• 4 cups filtered water
• 1 cup coconut milk, I prefer full fat, you can use light if you're into that sort of thing
• 2 sprigs fresh basil, flowers included   
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add onion and saute until soft and lightly brown, two to three minutes. Add garlic and dried chili, stir and saute for another two minutes until garlic becomes fragrant. 

Meanwhile, chop your broccoli and stems, nothing goes to waste here. Add broccoli and filtered water, bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

A proper mountain of broccoli.

When the broccoli is tender, drain about a cup of water, reserve. Add the coconut milk and basil. Use an immersion blender or work in batches with your food processor/blender to puree the soup to a velvety consistency. You can now add as much of the reserved broccoli water as you like to thin your soup to the desired consistency. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chili powder and/or basil leaves and serve hot!

There was nothing better than enjoying this soup out in the setting sun. Oh the simple pleasures.
 

Speaking of simple pleasure, dipping a piece of good bread in soup is pretty high up on that list. Divine!

Ciao my friends.