Loving this soup. Only made creamy by one potato! How great is that?

I wasn’t planning to post about it, but it’s so delicious that I just had to tell you about it. That explains the instagram picture of this soup. No camera on hand today. The perfect mix of hearty, delicious and healthy!

Hot creamy soup, perfect for a snowy, ice cold day in front of the fireplace. Okay, I don’t have a fireplace, but, today, I will pretend I do. This soup is easy to love, and hard to screw up. You are going to want to keep this recipe in a place you can find easily as you are going to want to make it often.

This one is from Real Simple Magazine, Easy, Delicious Home Cooking Fall 2012/ Winter 2013

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper- or more if you like it hot!
• 2 Cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 7 Cups broccoli florets roughly chopped and stems peeled and sliced
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 ounces sharp white cheddar, shaved for serving (I used the orange kind and shredded over our hot soup-yum!)
• bagel chips as croutons (I didn’t have these, and didn’t miss them, but would be a nice addition!)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency with water as necessary. (Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the saucepan.) Top with the Cheddar and bagel chips, if desired, before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:200,  Fat:8g,  Fiber:5g,  Protein:5g,  Carb:18g