Broccoli Cream Soup with Minced Beef

Got some broccoli which you don’t want to east in a salad? Boil them with some vegetables and you got yourself a quick healthy soup.

The minced beef is absolutely optional, I just had some leftover stuffing and I dumped it in for an extra flavor. Serve this soup with some toasted tortillas or croutons and you are in for a filling snack before dinner.

For a Vegan option can totally swap the minced beef for a handful of cabbage stripes or a grated carrot. You can also toss a handful of vermicelli for an extra body.

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 40 minutes    Yield: 4 Servings

List of Ingredients:

·        ·  1 Small Onion, minced

·        ·  4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed and divided to 2 portions

·        ·  1 ½ cup (150gm) Minced Beef

·        ·  ½ cup Spring Onions, sliced

·        ·  1 Medium Potato, cubed

·        ·  2 cups Broccoli florets (200gm), Fresh or Frozen and thawed for 15 minutes

·        ·  1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube (optional)

·        ·  1 Bay Leaf (optional)

·        ·  A handful of fresh Parsley, Chopped (optional)

·        ·  Salt and pepper to taste

·        ·  Olive oil for presentation

Method of Preparation:

• In a skillet on a high flame, stir fry the onion and half the garlic in olive oil until translucent and aromatic.
• Add the minced beef and lower the heat to medium. Stir frequently until fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a saucepan, stir fry the spring onion, garlic and potato in some olive oil.
• Stir and watch out from them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Some browning is completely fine and actually preferred. But don’t char them!
• Now add the broccoli florets and stir fry them with the vegetables. You want them to be golden on all sides. Add ¼ cup of water and crush the bouillon cube (if using) into the mixture.
• Stir until all is well incorporated and cover for 5-7 minutes.
• Uncover and add 500ml of boiled water, the bay leaf (if using), stir and cover again for 15 minutes.
• When the soup bubbles and is about to come to a boil remove it from the heat to blend. Remove the bay leaf.
• Beat with the handheld blender (or pour and beat in a heat-proof blender) until the soup is creamy and there are no lumps.
• Return to the pan and cook on high flame, pour the minced beef and parsley (if using). Adjust the desired consistency with adding more water.
• Stir and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve with any type toasted bread, croutons or plain and sprinkle some olive oil on top. Enjoy!