Did you know that only 1 in 10 adults are eating enough fruits and vegetables in a day? 1 in 10! In this day and age of people being health conscious, that statistic is surprisingly low. It’s also a huge opportunity for improvement. So, that’s why this week’s post is a veggie-filled Broccoli and Potato Soup recipe. It is super healthy, incredibly delicious and budget-friendly.

According to the CDC, most American adults are not eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. (The CDC advises eating 1 ½- 2 cups of fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day.) Being aware of this bit of information will hopefully help all of us make better food choices whether you’re cooking at home or eating out.

This recipe comes courtesy of Melissa Clark. I’ve had a lot of success with her recipes so I was very much looking forward to giving this one a go even though I was a bit skeptical and wondered if it tasted any good without any dairy in the soup base. Most broccoli soups are yummy because they have a lot of milk, cream or cheese but that’s not particularly a suitable option when you’re trying to be more healthy or on a budget. And you know what? It did not disappoint in terms of flavor!

What I most like about this soup is that it’s super delicious without the aid of heavy amounts of dairy. The dairy comes at the end as a topping and it’s optional. In fact, I prefer to eat this dish without any of the cheese toppings because it doesn’t need it.

Pretty much all the ingredients are identical but I did replace the butter with olive oil to make this easily vegan. Pay close attention when searing the broccoli since that is what brings out the incredible flavor in this dish. You can also add vegetable or chicken stock in place of water to elevate the flavor but that will increase your total cost for this soup.

I recommend using an immersion blender which makes it super easy but a regular blender, while a tad messier, will work in a pinch. (Please use caution when placing hot liquid in a blender and work in small batches.)

While it seems boring to eat more vegetables, it doesn’t have to be. I believe it really depends on how you’re cooking them. And when it comes to preparing vegetables, adding dairy isn’t your only option to making them shine in your dish. Searing is the way to go! I promise you that this Broccoli and Potato Soup is so incredibly good that you’ll lick the bowl clean. 🙂

Looking for ways to get in your 2 cups of vegetables per day? Try our Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry, Vegetable Curry and Fattoush Salad.

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 4-6 people Total Cost $6.35 ($7.35 with cheese) Cost per Serving $1.58 ($1.84 with cheese)

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs broccoli cut in small pieces ($4.00)
• 1/2 lb potatoes peeled and thinly sliced ($0.60)
• 1/2 cup olive oil ($0.96)
• 1 qt water or vegetable stock ($0.00)
• 1 large onion diced ($0.59)
• 5 cloves garlic minced ($0.12)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.00) (from our garden)
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest ($0.00) (from our garden)
• 2 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper ($0.01)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional ($0.05)
• grated parmesan optional ($1.00)

Instructions

1. Prepare all your ingredients.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil a in a dutch oven over high heat. In batches, place broccoli in a single layer and sear 4 minutes on one side only. Transfer to large bowl and repeat cooking the rest of the broccoli adding more oil when needed. Season seared broccoli in bowl with salt.
3. In same dutch oven, lower heat to medium-low and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions, black pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
4. Next add potatoes, 1 qt water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook with cover for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are just cooked.
5. Next add seared broccoli, cover and cook with cover for another 5-10 minutes until fork-tender.
6. Add lemon zest and puree with immersion blender. You can leave chunks of broccoli and potato for a heartier soup. Stir in lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. When ready to serve, drizzle with olive oil and top with grated parmesan and red pepper flakes, if you prefer. Enjoy!

Instructions with photos

1. Prepare all your ingredients.

   
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil a in a dutch oven over high heat. In batches, place broccoli in a single layer and sear 4 minutes on one side only. Transfer to large bowl and repeat cooking the rest of the broccoli adding more oil when needed. Season seared broccoli in bowl with salt.

   
3. In same dutch oven, lower heat to medium-low and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions, black pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

   
4. Next add potatoes, 1 qt water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer and cook with cover for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are just cooked.

   
5. Next add seared broccoli, cover and cook with cover for another 5-10 minutes until fork-tender.

   
6. Add lemon zest and puree with immersion blender. You can leave chunks of broccoli and potato for a heartier soup. Stir in lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

   
7. When ready to serve, drizzle with olive oil and top with grated parmesan and red pepper flakes, if you prefer. Enjoy!

   

Recipe Notes

* Note regarding pricing:  The lemon used in this recipe is from our garden which is why there is no price listed. The price for the pantry items such as oil, salt and pepper takes into account the cost of the amount used for the recipe and not the cost if you had to purchase the entire jar or bottle. ** All prices in US dollars.