About

Recipe By: Ward Alper, The Decadent Diabetic

Make this for: Dinner

Category: Soups & Stews

This Recipe Makes: 4 Serving(s)

Summary

There are two ways to prepare the broccoli. Either roast as below or blanch in sweetened water. While the finish taste is different, I like both ways equally well. BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER COOK THE BROCCOLI before adding to the soup. Can be served either hot or cold.

What you'll need

• 2 large crowns of broccoli
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 to taste salt and pepper
• 2 med to large sweet onion, sliced (thick or thin)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil or butter (up to 3 tbsp)
• 2 small cloves crushed and chopped garlic, can have up to 4 cloves
• 1 large stalk of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 med carrot, peeled and roughly sliced
• 2 tbsp. flour (optional)
• 1 1/2 qt low sodium chicken broth
• 1 small lemon with juice and zest taken out (discard lemon)
• 2 tsp. fresh basil (1 if you used dried)
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp. low fat sour cream (up to 4 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Step 2
  Melt butter and combine with salt and pepper.
• Step 3
  Cut broccoli into florets. Toss with butter and turn out onto a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. OR: Blanch the broccoli for 45 seconds in sweetened water (salt and 2 Tsp. sweetener added to water)
• Step 4
  In a large soup pot, saute onion in olive oil or butter, until soft but not brown. Add salt and pepper about one minute into the process.
• Step 5
  Add garlic and flour. Cook for one minute or so. Slowly add the chicken broth stirring so as not to have lumps. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and basil
• Step 6
  Add ½ of the broccoli the broth. Simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat. Remove from the heat, add the Swiss or cheddar cheese. Let cool, and then add the remaining broccoli and the Sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Using an immersion blender, whip the soup until smooth.
• Step 7
  Serve with Lavash chips if it is your entire meal. OR use a cup of soup to go with a decadent grilled cheese sandwich!