Karl’s Broccolini Soup

I had bought some broccolini earlier in the week and I had not used it. I could have just steamed it and tossed it on a plate with my roasted chicken, but Jan and Miriam have been liking blended vegetables soups lately. Checking my vegetable bin, I found some other things to add to the soup.

Karl’s Broccolini Soup

Ingredients

3 Tbs. unsalted butter (olive oil for Vegan)
½ large yellow onion, diced
½ tsp. Kosher salt

2 stalks celery, diced
2 yellow carrots, , diced
1 leek, white part only, sliced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced

½ lb. broccolini, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. thyme
½ tsp. sage
½ tsp black pepper
32 oz. vegetable broth

1 green onion, green parts sliced finely

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat.

2. Sauté the onions with the salt until they are just starting to pick up some color.

3. Add the celery, carrots, and leek.

4. Continue cooking until the vegetables start to soften, about five minutes.

5. Pull the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the garlic to the hole in the center.

6. Sauté the garlic for one minutes, until fragrant.

7. Stir in the broccolini, thyme, sage, pepper, and 2/3 of the broth.

8. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.

9. Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes.

10. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly.

11. Transfer the soup to a standing blender and process until smooth.

Tip: I did not need to do this in batches, but do so if necessary.

Note: If you prefer a more “rustic” chunky soup, use an immersion blender to process about half of the vegetables.

12. Return the soup to the pot and rinse out the blender jar with the remaining broth.

Tip: There is enough pulverized vegetable matter in the soup to make it fairly thick, but if you prefer your soup even thicker, add one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with one quarter cup of cold water to the pot.

13. Bring the soup up to serving temperature and transfer it to individual serving bowls.

14. Garnish each bowl with the green onion.

Tip: If you prefer you may also garnish the soup with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.