Broccoli Soup for the Soul

One day recently, I was having a craving for some really good Broccoli Soup. I wanted a soup that was thick and creamy, and packed full of delicious broccoli. Oh, and it had to be easy to make, of course. This recipe has since been making the rounds in my family, and everyone seems to love it, so I thought I’d better post it here and share with everybody.

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, safflower, etc.)
• ½ cups flour
• 2 ½ cups milk (whole is best)
• 2 – 2 ½ cups chicken stock
• 2 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon, chicken flavor
• 1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 Tablespoon parsley
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces of broccoli florets
• If you like heat, a little pinch of cayenne is a great addition 

First up, the broccoli. I love the bags of organic florets that Trader Joe’s carries. Basically, all the prep work has been done for you. If there are some clusters that are really big, you might want to cut them in half or something, but certainly don’t worry about chopping broccoli. In my world, broccoli that is in soup should be nice and soft, so we’ll be cooking it enough that it will basically just fall apart.

Add the broccoli to a pan, along with about ¼ cup water. Put the lid on, and place it over medium low heat. Then, just leave it to do its thing while you work on the soup.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat place the butter and oil.

When the butter is melted, add the flour.

Stir until there are no lumps, and then continue stirring for another minute or so. After that, go ahead and pour in the chicken stock.

If the chicken stock is cold, you might end up with big lumps of the flour mixture, but don’t panic, just keep stirring. As soon as the stock heats up, they’ll melt and disappear. Then add the milk.

Along with the Better than Bouillon and dried onions.

Stir the mixture until it thickens and comes to a boil.

Turn off the heat and add the parsley and black pepper.

Stir those in, then place on the lid. Turn the heat off for the broccoli, as well. Then just walk away from everything and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. That will give the onions a chance to rehydrate and the broccoli will finish steaming.

When you return, the broccoli will be fall apart tender.

Then just add it, along with any remaining liquid, to the soup.

Give it a good stir (sometimes if the broccoli isn’t falling apart as much as I’d like, I’ll use a potato masher and give it a quick pass). You have now reached broccoli soup deliciousness!

I like to serve mine with some freshly grated, Tillamook, extra sharp cheddar.

What kind of food do you crave when it’s cold outside?

Iced Vanilla Chai Latte

We’ve been without air conditioning for a week, which has meant no cooking for me.  Hence, my late post.  Fortunately, it cooled down enough today, that I was able to stand in front of the stove long enough to brew some tea for this lovely iced chai latte.  It’s no wonder they’re so popular right now.  They’re definitely good for the soul.  Like my friend Melissa said, “Bad day?  Try one of these.” 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups water
• ¾ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon mace
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ cup tea leaves or 10-12 teabags
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla 

Now, if you’re a chai tea expert, you’ll know that my list of ingredients is far from traditional.  More commonly you’ll see things like star anise, black pepper, and ginger, but I don’t really care for those in my tea, thank you.  Use a combination of whatever your favorite spices are, and place them all together in a small dish. 

The tea is sort of the same thing.  I’m using a black tea from Teavana that comes in little balls, but you can use green tea, white tea, loose tea, teabags… whatever you prefer. 

Bring your water to a boil, then turn off the heat and add the sugar.  I used vanilla sugar and accidentally got a piece of a vanilla bean in with it, but not to worry, this will all be strained out. 

Add the spices. 

Stir them in and add the tea.  Just remember, if you’re using green or white tea, you’ll need to allow the water to cool to the proper temperature first. 

Allow it to steep for 3-4 minutes, and then pour it through a strainer. 

I thought it would be a good idea to line the strainer with a coffee filter, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t.  I guess the cinnamon was clogging the filter or something, because the tea simply wouldn’t drain.  So take it from me, just use a fine sieve.   

Add the vanilla

And the milk. 

Give it a quick stir, and you have a perfect iced vanilla chai latte.  (and it didn’t cost 5 bucks) Not to mention, there’s plenty to share or keep in the fridge for later. 

Pour it over plenty of ice, and enjoy. 

Ahhh, sweet, spicy, cool, refreshing, deliciousness.  Like I said, good for the soul. 

What do you indulge in when you’ve had a bad day?