Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe

Sydney's weather has been all over the place lately. Hot, cold, rainy, windy, sunny, stormy - you name it. It seems to be a pattern with Jesse here - we've had two cold summers in a row! ;P 

Nonetheless, on one cold and rainy day, I decided that soup needed to made - but something different. I rummaged through the pantries, refridgerator, vegetable drawer - and the broccoli caught my eye. 

I've never made broccoli soup before - or even eaten it, so it was definitely a first. In true Kristy fashion - I took to the soup blind. No... the rain and cold didn't cause sudden blindness - I mean without a recipe. 

What came out of my experiment was a delicious creamy soup that is incredibly healthy. Jesse thinks this soup should also be used a dip (kind of like asparagus dip or spinach tip that you serve with bread) and my Dad agreed - so do with it what you like!

The recipe only makes a very small quantity - but feel free to double, triple or quintuple it to feed a crowd! (if you need a hand, just ask!).

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe - 
serves 2 (or one hungry person!)

gluten free, low fat

1 large head of broccoli, washed

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (if you're GF, check the ingredients!)

1/4 cup peas* 

2 cups spinach

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese

2 tbsp plain Chobani Greek yogurt (either 0% or 2%)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the broccoli into small pieces, including some of the stalk. 

In a medium saucepan over a medium high heat, saute garlic in a tbsp of stock until browned. Add in broccoli and stock, cooking until the broccoli is tender.

Add in the peas and spinach, mixing until the spinach is wilted and the mixture has heated through. 

Take saucepan off the heat and pour into a blender. Blend soup until pureed, adding some extra stock if the mixture is too thick.. 

Pour soup back into pan and stir in cream cheese and yogurt, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Once everything is mixed together and heated through, pour into serving dishes - topping with a dollop of yogurt/cream cheese** and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.

*I just used frozen baby peas as I had them on hand - if you don't have any peas, just leave them out!

**Jesse likes his with a dollop of cream cheese for that extra cheesy flavour - but we like it with both!

So tell me, what's your favourite kind of soup?