Here's an easy soup recipe that can be made somewhat lo cal and it tastes good as well. Since it is a Broccoli soup, I suggest having it alone or with your loved one (passed gas at a formal dinner or with strangers can be uncomfortable.)
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil (or canola oil)
* 1 medium onion
* 1 clove of garlic
* 1/2 cup cream, heavy or half-n-half
* 2 medium size Idaho potato
* Nutmeg, to taste
* 6 cups chicken stock (homemade, if you can or a good quality stock bought)
* Kosher Salt and Pepper
* 2 'trees' of broccoli (about 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and stems)
Tools
* sharp utility knife
* cutting board
* peeler
* 1 large heavy bottom stock pot
* 1 wooden (or metal) spoon
* measuring cup
* a regular upright blender (or immersion blender - I'm not Alton Brown, you can have as many cooking utensils that have only one or two functions.)
* Any beverage (I don't want it to seem that you need to consume alcohol in order to cook)
* CD (I'm going to suggest Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. for a specific reason but listen to what you like)
Directions
Start CD
Peel and roughly chop your onion (remember they do not have to a uniform dice - you're going to blend the soup.) Wash, peel and cube your two potatoes (actually it's your choice if you want to peel your potatoes - I think the Idaho skin is a little too thick. If you're using a new potato, no need to peel.) Put your chopped vegetables aside and reward yourself with a sip of the beverage of your choice. Peel your garlic clove and press the side of your knife blade against clove with the back of your hand (if this makes you nervous, just chop the garlic.)
Cut the top part of the broccoli and separate the florets (realizing how silly that sounds.) Peel the broccoli stem (believe me, there is only so much roughage a body can take) and chop the peeled stem. Put them aside. Have a sip of your beverage.
Put your large stock pot over medium high heat and when the bottom of the pot comes up to temperature; add the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add your chopped onions and turn the onions around until they soften and become translucent (about 3 or 4 minutes) but not browned. Add the garlic and the potatoes stir around for a minute or two. Add a pinch or two of salt
Add 5 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Have another sip of your beverage.
Add broccoli and return to a simmer. Stir the pot occasionally and enjoy the early Bruce. Remember hearing him for the first time. Remember listening to the album Darkness on the Edge of Town so much that you wore out the needle on the record player (remember record players.) Have another sip of your beverage and sigh. (If you don't like Bruce, remind yourself that your mother probably whacked you with a wooden spoon much like the one you are stirring your soup with right now. Even worse, remind yourself how much it hurt if she was using a metal spoon, freshly out a hot scolding pot. Definitely, have another sip of your beverage and sigh.)
When potato and broccoli are tender (12 minutes or so), puree in batches in a blender or use your immersion blender directly in your stock pot. Be careful, the soup is hot, if you're using the blender, make sure you place a dish towel and your hand on the lid of the blender when you turn it on or your ceiling will be covered with the soup. Remember you're not making baby food, so leave some recognizable pieces.
Now if you're playing the home game, Lost in the Flood should be playing about now. Score extra points if you hear the line, "nuns run bald through Vatican halls, pregnant, pleading Immaculate Conception" - by far Bruce's strangest lyrics. Finish your beverage as a reward.
Decide if your soup is thick enough for your liking. If it is - the soup is finished at this point. You could have it at this point as a lower calorie soup. If you would like a less thick soup, add some of the cup of stock that you left aside. Or you could stir in the 1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half for a richer soup. Bring soup back to a simmer.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg and serve warm
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