Recipe: Broccoli & Basil Soup with Garlic Croutons

1 mins to read

Take a break from your green smoothie! Try this warming soup jam-packed with green goodness.

Getting the greens in during the cooler months can be tricky. Green smoothies get put on the sideline and raw salads are less appealing when it’s cold outside.

But- eating your greens is still a must as the temperature drops. Your immune system needs supporting in these cooler autumn and winter months and green vegetables have loads of the support you need from your vitamins including A and C to your minerals like calcium and magnesium.

They also have phytochemicals that help give your body an added antioxidant boost. .

Nutritional yeast is an ingredient you can find at most health food stores and gives the soup it’s cheesy kick without the dairy. It’s not just a flavour substitute though. Nutritional yeast is a great source of B vitamins including B12, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folate.

It is also a source of protein and fibre making it a superfood not just vegans, but for anyone looking to increase their nutritional intake.

You’ve also got cannellini beans for an added boost of fibre and protein so you’ll feel nourished and sustained with a bowl of this soup.

You can have some fun with this soup. Play around with it by adding some fresh baby spinach to it once it’s in the bowl, make some quick homemade crunchy kale chips to put on top or cook a few pieces of tofu in a pan to add some extra protein.

Just make sure you have enough croutons to wipe the bowl clean!

Ingredients

Broccoli & basil soup

1 tbs coconut oil
1 brown onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
5-6 cups broccoli, cut into florets
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Garlic croutons

2 cups croutons (cut into 1cm cubes), cut from stale sourdough bread or gluten-free bread
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

How to make

Pre-heat your oven to 160° Cand line a baking tray with baking paper
In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over a medium heat and add the onion, cooking it for around 5 minutes until it is translucent and soft. Then add the slices of garlic, stirring and cooking them with the onion for another 30 seconds
Once your onion and garlic are cooked, place the broccoli and zucchini into the pot and stir everything together for 1 minute so the vegetables gently begin to cook. Then add the vegetable stock, nutritional yeast and cayenne powder and bring the pot to the boil before placing on the lid and turning the stove right down to allow it to gently simmer. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes
While your soup is cooking, prepare your croutons by tossing the cubes of bread in the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread them out onto your prepared baking tray and place into the oven to crisp up for around 15 minutes or until they are crunchy and golden
When your soup is done and the broccoli is tender, turn off the stove and leave it to gently cool in the pot for 5 minutes. Once it has cooled slightly, you can puree the soup in your blender. Due to the quantity, it is best done in two batches unless you have a very large blender jug. Place half the batch of soup into your blender, add half the can of cannellini beans and basil leaves and blitz for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Place the finished half of your soup back into the pot and repeat with the other batch
Once both batches are done and they are back in the pot, gently heat it over a low heat on the stove so you can combine the two batches together. Taste your soup and season with salt and pepper then finish it off by squeezing in the lemon juice. Serve immediately topped with your freshly baked croutons and some roughly torn basil. If you’re storing it, leave it to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months

Roberta of Naturo Medico is a Naturopathic Practitioner who specialises in preventative care and women’s health. From her Melbourne-based clinic, Roberta sees women of all ages wanting to meet their own health goals and assists them on their path with personalised treatments specific to their needs.

Alongside practice, Roberta shares healthful and nutrient-rich recipes with her readers who inspire her to continue educating on what health and wellbeing means and how it can be achieved.

Follow @naturomedico on Instagram for more healthy eating inspiration!