Lentil and broccoli cream soup

Today I made a lentil and broccoli cream soup, a very nourishing, tasty and quick-to-cook soup. You really have to give it a try too!

Cream soups are one of my favorite thing to eat because they are that kind of food that, besides being healthy (if you are careful about all the ingredients that you use), they are also very nourishing. The vegetables that you choose to put in a cream soup are full of fiber, which will make you feel full. I often make cream soups, especially in the cold season I really like to take advantage of them, because let’s be serious, who wouldn’t love a hot cream soup after they come freezing from outside?

Regarding today’s recipe, I want to tell you that initially I wanted to make a simple broccoli cream soup, to add 3-4 potatoes for a creamy texture, just like the other cream soups that I make, but I had this pack of Orlando’s green lentils in the cabinet and I really wanted to see how these two vegetables go together. Lentils successfully replace the potatoes if you’re looking for a creamy texture in your cream soups. It came out something delicious, I promise you. And yes, I recommend it to all of you.

Ingredients

200 gr. Orlando’s green lentils
500 gr. broccoli
1 onion, finely chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
celery root (to taste) cut into cubes
some olive oil
salt & pepper (to taste)
Serving: homemade croutons
Optional: 2-3 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

Preparation

And as no cream soup can be sipped without something crunchy, I also made a large tray of homemade whole wheat croutons.

Let’s see how this lentil and broccoli cream soup is prepared!

First put the lentils in a bowl, cover them with water and leave to soaked for 1 hour. In this way the lentils will boil much faster. During this time chop the onion, cut into cubes the celery root, mince the garlic, wash and cut the broccoli in smaller bunches. Keep the harder part of the broccoli because you will also put it on boil.

In a pot sautee the onion in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes, stirring from time to time. After the onion has become soft, add the soaked lentils, the celery root and the hard part of the broccoli. Leave the vegetables to cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat, stirring from time to time. Pour approximately 1.5 liters of hot water over them, season with salt and pepper, and let the lentils and vegetables boil for 30 minutes. Add another glass of water if it still needed.

After 30 minutes add the bunches of broccoli, then leave everything to boil for another 8-10 minutes. Using a vertical blender mix all the vegetables until you reach the desired consistency of the soup. Also, add more water if needed, then pun the pot again on the stove and leave the soup to boil on low heat for 1-2 minute.

Finally taste and see if you still need salt and pepper. Serve the cream soup with homemade croutons.

In the serving bowl of lentil and broccoli cream soup I also poured a drop of olive oil, a mix of seeds and a few croutons. A delicious and very nourishing soup came out. Yummmy, yummmy!

Article by Foodiopedia