Italian Broccoli Parmesan Soup
Who knew comfort food could be healthy? This cozy and delicious soup is going to warm you right up and I love that it doesn’t have any cream!
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil + 2 knobs butter
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 sprig Fresh thyme
- 1 box of stock (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup small pasta orzo, ditalini, or anelli siciliani
- 1/2 lemon use more if desired
- Parmesan shaved
- Black pepper
- Optional herbs to garnish
Instructions
- Separate the broccoli florets from the stem. Cut the florets into small pieces and then chop the stem into small pieces as well.
- Chop up one medium-sized yellow onion and 3 cloves of garlic.
- In a large pot over medium heat add some olive oil and butter. Once this has melted, add in the chopped onion and stir for two minutes.
- Add in the chopped broccoli stems and continue to stir for another two minutes. Add in the broccoli florets and chopped garlic. Stir.
- Add in the seasonings: a tbsp of garlic powder, a big pinch of salt, and a tsp of red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick.
- Option to add a little more butter here to help it out. Stir for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add in a box/carton of stock (vegetable, chicken, beef, whatever you like) and two cups of water. Bring this up to a gentle bubble, add in a sprig of fresh thyme, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes (or until broccoli is tender and you can mash it slightly). Note that the broccoli will cook down even more since we’re adding pasta later.
- Use either a potato masher or an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup together. It’s nice to have some texture here and not have it super smooth.
- Add in small pasta of your choice (I’m using anelli siciliani), increase the heat to medium and continue to cook according to pasta package directions.
- Finish with fresh lemon juice, lots of shaved parmesan, some herbs if you like (I used Italian parsley) and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Oh and some cracked black pepper.