Broccoli Avocado Soup

When Mum's away...Katie shall play! Or rather...Katie shall make soup. Yes, that's more like it.



I decided to make a soup for dinner dinner based upon the facts that a) There was half a leftover avocado in the fridge, b) The kitchen goddess (Mother dearest) is out for the night, and c) I just craved soup, badly. So having come across this recipe, I thought I'd adapt it somewhat and give it a good old whirl.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, sliced 'n' diced
Teaspoon coconut oil
Spices: Paprika (1/2 teaspoon), Herbs de Provence (pinch), black pepper (optional amount) and a pinch of salt
A few florets of broccoli (I used 3...because I ran out. But nonetheless, it was the perfect amount anyway)
1 vegetable stock, soaked in 190ml boiling water
1/2 pitted avocado
Squeeze of lemon (1/2 teaspoon)

I so love the easiness of soup making! This recipe took all of 15 minutes to prepare, and I have to say I was really impressed with the outcome (besides the obvious fact that it is so very GREEN. I'm not one to care about the colours of my food, but I know of others who'd be put-off - oh well, more for me?).



The creaminess of the avocado sits just right with the vegetable flavouring, plus the garlic, spices and lemon added that necessary twist to jazz up the taste somewhat. Here's how to make it, if you wanted to try for yourself. Bear in mind that this only serves one little stomach - double up (or triple/quadruple etc) for those with a heftier appetite, or those dining with company!

Dissolve your veg stock in 190ml boiling water, stirring regularly. Bring to the boil, and add your florets of broccoli to the liquid. Cook until the broccoli is tender. Meanwhile, in a larger soup pan, melt your coconut oil on high heat and add your diced garlic, plus the spices and herbs. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, by which time your broccoli should be cooked. Add the stock mix to the soup pan (should still be bubbling hot) and let simmer. Stir, then leave it to sit and cool slightly.

Next, you want to pour the concoction into your blender, adding your avocado on top. Whizz up, and when the consistency is nice and creamy, pour back into the pan and heat the soup throughout. Serve immediately, and enjoy!




I combined my soup with a side of 2 ryvita crackers plus a few tablespoons of Lithuanian potato salad - the latter of which is so, so delicious! I'll share the recipe soon - or at least when I find out how to make it myself (My mum's taken a fancy to making the stuff after tasting a shop-bought version that my boyfriend regularly buys...much to my boyfriends delight, might I add. He could easily demolish the whole lot within a day! To be completely fair though, so could I!).



Has anyone else been Winter-proofing themselves with a piping hot and hearty soup for dinner/lunch?

Winter Wouldn't Be Winter

Or rather, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without:

Copious amounts of sweet treats stalking you around the house

Fairy lights and decorations all around

Condensation lining the windows

Cosy knits stolen from my brother, and sniffly noses (and demonic eyes, apparently)

Thick winter-warming soup (be it cup-a-soup or homemade, any fits the bill)

Coming down with another case of the sniffles and feeling considerably sorry for myself, yet again. Belly full o'soup, and exercise off the cards once more - one of the many reasons I can't tolerate illness (excluding the soup part). Sympathy welcome; hope everyone else is lurgy-free and making the most of the run-up to Chrimble. ♥

Happy, hearty soup for Autumn

A failed attempt at making carrot juice using my food processor inevitably lead to making soup for dinner last night. Considering I've never actually made soup before (!), the results were pretty impressive if I do say so myself! The recipe is extremely easy, so perfect for a complete novice like myself. I'm a newbie when it comes to soup in general, as I've only recently acquired the taste for what I (so abtly) used to label 'liquid food'. I still stray away from the watery kind of soup, so this one is thick and chunky - just the way I like.

Ingredients (serves 3):

Torn shreds of cooked chicken
Lightly mashed carrots (8 medium)
6 Potatoes (I used Elfe) cut into 1cm pieces
3 stocks of chicken (I used OXO cubes)
570ml boiling water (for the stock)
3 tbsp buttermilk (I used Kefir)
Butter/olive oil for the pan
Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to season

Par-boil your potatoes (I boiled for around 15mins). Dissolve your stock into boiling water. Add a bit of butter and/or olive oil to your pan (make it a large one!) and add your potatoes and carrots. Mix regularly. Add your water stock mix to the pan and continue to stir. Add the buttermilk to thicken the soup and add a creamy texture. Add the chicken, stir, and the mixed herbs, salt and pepper to finish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

I tend to limit my intake of potatoes because of their carb-content, but it's a proven fact that 250g of potatoes contain half of your daily vitamin B6, which is essential in lifting mood-enhancing serotonin levels - thus the title of this post! Eating your way towards a good mood sounds like a damn good idea to me!

The recipe serves 3, each portion containing approx 350 calories. I found it an extremely satisfying meal that would be suitable for the many cold Autumn evenings to come. A perfect combo of hearty and healthy (and happy)!