This is such a versatile idea.
It can become any sort of soup you want really. Pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, potato and leek, or a combination of all of those.
I tend to use it as a more appealing way of serving the less loved veges here. Now for me, there are no less loved veg, but convincing the rest of the family is often a bit of a chore.
This week we had Broccoli and Cauliflower soup as both of those were surprisingly inexpensive to buy. A whole cauliflower was just $3, after being over double that price a little while ago, and the broccoli was only $2kg, so it made sense to make the most of it!
You do need a food processor or stick blender for this recipe. You can mash it and push the mixture through a fine sieve, but that is laborious to say the least! It's a good idea too, to start this in the morning, so you have time to allow it to cool if you have to process it. If you're using a stick mixer, it won't matter.
The addition of the bread and potato, gives it a thick creamy texture without adding cream :)
You'll need:
Equal amounts (approximately) of Cauli and Broccoli. I just fill the crockpot up to the very top.
4 cups chicken stock
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1-2 slices fresh bread
3 tablespoons milk powder
Seasoning to taste
Fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil or other flavour infused oil to serve. Garlic infused oil is delicious.
Then just:
Pile the broccoli and cauli into the slow cooker, and add the chicken stock, garlic, onion, and potato.
Cook on High until the veges are very soft, about 3 hours.
Turn the slow cooker off, and remove the lid, allowing it to cool slightly if you need to process it in a food processor. If you're using a stick mixer, then carefully blend the mixture until it's smooth. Add the milk powder. Tear the bread into small pieces and add that as well, to smooth the texture and thicken the soup without adding cream or butter or flour.
Turn the slow cooker back on and allow it to reheat the soup for about half an hour. Taste test, and season if necessary. Sometimes I find I need to add another stock cube or two at this stage.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Add a drizzle of oil as fats do help carry flavour to your taste buds, and this will just give the soup a little lift, and top with a generous garnish of lovely, freshly chopped herbs. Things like garlic chives, thyme, oregano and parsley are ideal.
This makes an enormous amount and it's fed us for a dinner and four afternoon teas so far. There's nothing better than a big steaming mug of creamy soup on a chilly Winters afternoon :)
