Creamy Broccoli Soup with Seeded Crackers. This nourishing winter soup is the ideal winter warmer.
Serves 6
Seeded Crackers
1⁄2 cup linseeds
1⁄2 cup pepitas
1⁄4 cup sunflower seeds
1⁄2 cup sesame seeds
1⁄2 cup chia seeds
1⁄2 cup hazelnut or almond meal
2 tbsp coconut oil
3⁄4 cup cold water
1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, pale section only, finely sliced
750g broccoli (approx 2 heads), cut into florets, stems diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
300g silverbeet (approx 3 stems), stems chopped, leaves shredded
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
11⁄2L vegetable stock
1⁄2 cup thickened cream, (or coconut milk for a vegan option)
Roasted broccoli, to garnish
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a large baking tray.
To prepare crackers, combine linseeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds and hazelnut or almond meal into a large bowl. Add melted coconut oil and water. Combine until mixture comes together. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes to allow the chia seeds to “gel”.
Spread mixture thinly onto the baking tray. Use the back of a metal spoon to level and to gently press to a 0.5cm thickness. Sprinkle with sea salt and chilli flakes, gently pressing in. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp, then carefully turn over and bake for a further 20 minutes. Set aside to cool on tray. Break into pieces to serve.
Meanwhile, to make the soup, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add leeks, broccoli stems, garlic and fennel seeds. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Add silverbeet and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften. Add broccoli florets and potatoes. Pour in vegetable stock. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.
Remove 1⁄3 of the soup and set aside. Using a hand blender, blender or food processor, blend the remaining 2⁄3 of the soup until smooth. Return the blended and unblended potions to the same saucepan. Add cream or coconut milk, then reheat until soup just comes to the simmer. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with roasted broccoli. Accompany with seeded crackers – they’re delicious when crumbled over the soup as a garnish
SMART TIP
Double the recipe for the seeded crackers to ensure leftovers. Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.
