It feels like a very long time ago that I was slurping my way through soup after soup. It also feels a little strange to be writing about soup, because I’m sitting on an island in a Nicaraguan lake sweating through my sundress at the moment. I know, poor me. But this is a selfless act, because I know that in many less fortunate parts of the world, it’s the absolute doldrums of February, which means you feel like it will never NOT be soup weather. So I wanted to share this recipe in case that’s the predicament you’re finding yourself in- to warm you up and remind you that winter can be cozy and delicious.
To put this recipe into perspective for you, I think it might be my favorite soup I’ve ever made. Top 5 at least. It’s also pretty healthy as far as delicious soups go (for example, clearly New England clam chowder is tasty and indulgent, but then again, what’s made out of that much cream that isn’t?). This broccoli spinach soup tastes just like it’s pureed with heavy cream, but it’s actually vegan, and it’s the addition of a cooked potato that gives it that indulgent creaminess.
Besides its silky texture, the soup also has two other key attributes going for it. First, some red wine vinegar. As I’ve discussed before, acid in soup is, for me, absolutely key to tastiness. It brightens up an otherwise dull, homogeneous flavor profile and adds a little zing. Second, it has some added texture on top which really brings it home: crispy roasted broccoli florets (the kind you can’t stop tasting from the pan), some finely snipped chives (who doesn’t love chives?) and crispy ciabatta croutons. The humble crouton has the ability to make just about anything- from soup to salad- 50% tastier. I’ve run the numbers.
One piece of advice on this soup- if you have both an immersion blender and a traditional blender, use the traditional one. Even better if it’s a Vitamix or Ninja. There are certain soups that benefit from a mostly smooth, but slightly chunky texture- this isn’t one of them. The smoother and silkier you can get the texture, the better it will be.
So with that- buen provecho, as they say here in Nicaragua, and I’ll be back again when the mood strikes.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth (or vegetable broth, if you want to make this vegetarian/vegan)
- One 8-oz. baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 lbs. broccoli stems peeled and sliced, florets cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- One 5-oz. package baby spinach
- 4 oz. sourdough or ciabatta bread, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Snipped chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and the stock, potato, broccoli stems and two-thirds of the florets. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the potato and broccoli are very soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Meanwhile, on one side of a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the remaining broccoli florets with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake the broccoli florets for 10 minutes. Spread the bread on the other half of the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until the florets and croutons are browned and crisp.
- Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy broccoli and croutons. Garnish with snipped chives and serve.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/02/26/broccoli-spinach-soup-with-crispy-broccoli-florets-and-croutons/
