Recipes

This is a nice, hearty winter soup that is thickened only with potatoes.  The buttery garlic croutons are optional but certainly make the soup special with their richness and crunch.  Use olive oil for the croutons to make the soup entirely vegan and dairy-free.

Chop onion, celery and mince the garlic.  Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a soup pot, add onion, celery and garlic and cook gently until soft and beginning to color.  Peel and chop potato into ½” cubes.  Add to pot with vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Cut the broccoli into small florets.  Peel the stalk and slice thickly.  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add broccoli, cover and cook until soft but not falling apart.  Drain.  Add to soup pot and puree mixture using an immersion or table top blender.  Taste, adding salt if needed and a few grinds of black pepper. To make croutons, preheat oven to 350°F.  Heat butter/oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook one minute, stirring.  Add bread cubes and toss to coat.  Spread on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes being careful not to burn.  Top each serving with a few croutons.