Recipe: Nutty Broccoli Spinach Soup

Soup season is officially here!

Chef Neha Deepak Shah's light Broccoli Walnut Soup, dished up, if you prefer, with a drizzle of cream, is a warm, gentle hug in a bowl.

Broccoli Walnut Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250 gm broccoli, chopped into small florets
• Handful chopped spinach
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 pods garlic, finely chopped
• 12-15 walnut halves, chopped
• ½ cup water or vegetable stock (please see note below)
• ½ stock cube
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Fresh cream
• Pink salt or Himalayan salt, available in gourmet food shops or online
• Dash black pepper powder
• Roasted walnuts halves
• Toasted bread

Method

• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic.
  Saute for about 5-7 minutes.
  Add the chopped walnuts and toast for about 2-3 minutes.
  Add the spinach and the broccoli florets.
  Saute 1-2 minutes.
  Pour in the vegetable stock and add in the stock cube (please see note below).
  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  Take off heat.
• Season with salt and pepper.
  Serve hot, in individual soup bowls, with a drizzle of cream, a sprinkling of pink salt and pepper.
  Garnish with roasted walnuts halves and serve with toasted bread on the side.

Note: Alternately, puree the soup in a mixer/blender and mix in a cup of Bechamel or white sauce for a richer, creamier soup.

Liquid broth is available in some gourmet food stores. Or combine 2 vegetable soup cubes or 2 vegetable broth/bouillon cubes or 2 tsp vegetable broth/bouillon powder with 4 cups boiling water.
Or make vegetable broth from scratch by boiling 4-5 cups water with 1-2 large roughly chopped carrots, 3 stalks roughly chopped celery with leaves, 2 medium onions chopped in chunks, 5-6 whole black peppercorns, 2 tsp salt, 4 tbsp chopped parsley with stems, 2 laung or cloves, 5 pods garlic, 2 tej pattA or bay leaves till vegetables are tender and the water is steeped with the flavour of the vegetables and spices.
Strain and use for the recipe.

A contestant on MasterChef India Season 4, Chef Neha Deepak Shah is the co-founder of Meraaki Kitchen and Cafe White Sage in Jaipur.

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