Delicious Cream Free Soup

This recipe is an adaptation from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond. I have only made the Broccoli cream soup but it is fantastic and perfect to warm up for lunch, dinner or a snack. The taste and consistency is equal to a cream soup but the recipe calls for calcium-rich tahini to achieve the same effect without the calories. Healthy and tasty.  Definitely worth a try!

Ingredients

1 small to medium onion (chopped)
1 medium garlic clove (diced)
1 celery stalk (chopped)
2 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 heads chopped broccoli (about 4 cups)
5 cups water
1 Cup chicken broth
2 TBS tahini

optional toppings to taste
ground pepper
croutons
cheddar cheese

1. Bring water and chicken broth to boil in a separate pot that is easy to transfer.

2. In a soup pot, heat oil and add onion, garlic and celery. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add broccoli and continue cooking for about a minute.

3. Add boiling liquid to vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes until veggies are tender.

4. Pour soup in a bowl to cool. Remove 1/2 cup of broth from soup and stir remaining soup to cool it. Place tahini and 1/2 broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

5. Place 3/4 soup in blender and liquify into a cream. Pour it back into original soup pot. Place remaining 1/4 soup mixture in blender and pulse a few times allowing it to remain lumpy and full of texture. Add it to the soup pot with the creamed mixture.

6. Reheat soup to a medium heat and stir in the tahini mixture. Be careful not to let it boil. Add pepper to taste. Top with cheddar cheese and croutons. Yummy!

PS... It sounds like many steps but it really is not! Read through the directions and get a feel for what comes next. It makes quite a bit so you will have a healthy treat for a few days to heat up as the weather gets cooler! If you would prefer cauliflower, asparagus, carrot, squash or any other veggie, Go For It!