Seat-of-the-Pants Broccoli Soup

Welcome to my first post!  I have been wanting to do this for so long.  I'm thrilled to finally have a place where I can share my love of cooking, dining out, gardening, entertaining, etc.  Even if no one is listening!  When cooking for myself, I try to focus on low fat, low carbohydrate ingredients and I use as many vegetables as possible.  When cooking for a group, those rules get thrown out the window and delicious fat and sugar calories abound!  

Tonight, I decided to experiment with the broccoli that's been waiting very patiently in my fridge.  I also had some leftover milk from last weekend's cornbread so I improvised a creamy broccoli soup.  The soup turned out alright, but there are some things I will change next time around.  This is more of a test-run to see how I like this blogging business.  Let's get to it!

What to gather:

For Soup
5-7 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 medium white onion - chopped
1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil (separate)
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups milk/soymilk or 1 cup cream
2 heads of broccoli (stalks optional)
1/2 bunch of kale or other dark leafy green
salt, paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper - to taste

For Tofu
1 package firm or extra firm tofu
3-4 tbsp peanut butter or prepared peanut sauce
sriracha if you like it hot

What to do:

Sauté the onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they are tender and begin to brown.

Tear the leaves away from the stems of the kale and add them to the pot along with the broccoli.  Stir in the broth.  Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.  Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk or cream and spices to taste.  Simmer until broccoli has reached desired tenderness.  I like my vegetables al dente so I didn't keep it on for too long. 

Blend until desired consistency is reached.  I went for a chunkier soup but I think it might taste better if I blend it longer for a smoother texture.  Leftovers!  

Now for the tofu!  Chop the tofu into one inch squares.  Sauté in 1/2 tbsp olive oil on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the peanut butter or peanut sauce.  I used the Trader Joe's brand peanut satay sauce.

 Add the sriracha to taste if desired.

Serve and Enjoy! 

"And what to drink?" you ask.

I've been enjoying this unoaked, unfiltered $10 Bonarda from Mendoza Argentina the past few weeks.  Argentina's Bonarda grape can also be found growing in California under the name Charbono.  I don't believe I've ever tried this varietal before finding this bottle, which is surprising because it's wonderful!  I purchased the wine at West Lakeveiw Liquors - 2156 W. Addison St, Chicago.  I love this store!  It's a little on the expensive side, but it is just so lovely and quaint and they just opened an even more quaint little grocery right next door.

Well, that was really fun even though it took me a long time.  Next time around should be easier.  I might check out some other blog hosting sites to compare platforms.  Until tomorrow!