Spicy Broccoli Soup

Tom's garden bins raise gardening to new heights!!   Wow!  He picked the second crop of broccoli yesterday and there is still more coming.  Last year when he built them, I thought they looked like over-sized caskets in our back yard.  Now they are a verdant abundance of living produce! And I am totally convinced of their merits in terms of production as well as ease of caring for them. No more bending to plant, weed, or harvest.  And the depth of soil conserves water and heat and he has not needed to water the garden even once this summer.  The only problem they create is keeping up with the harvesting!  

Raised garden bins containing tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, & beans

View of the bins from our deck

This delectable and mildly spicy soup is my modification of a recipe in the Soup Bible (Penguin Books, 2007).  The coconut milk adds a creamy dimension and is surprisingly complimentary to the broccoli.  I enjoyed some for lunch, even on this wonderfully warm summer day!  The rest will be frozen for a winter treat.  

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 lbs broccoli, cut into small pieces  

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook gently for 4 -5 minutes until onion is soft. Add ground spices and cook for 2 -3 minutes. Pour in stock and coconut milk, and slowly bring to a boil. Add broccoli, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a little.Puree to desired consistency. 

Garnish with cilantro or mango chutney also is a great compliment for it.  

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 8                        

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg                  
Sodium: 158 mg
Total Carbs: 10 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 4 g