Barackoli Obama Soup…well Broccoli really :D

I highly doubt any of us students ever get our daily dose of greens inside us. All we do is guzzle down meat by the dozen washed down with lashings of beer. But vege isn’t as daunting as it looks and you can make something we all find boring (inc me ;D) into something tasty.

Broccoli soup is packed with nutrients, actually a lot tastier than it sounds and it’s ruddy simple to make as well.

(Preparation/Cooking time: 20 minutes, Difficulty Level: 2 – Easy)

(Suitable for Vegetarians)

Ingredients:

• Broccoli
• Garlic Cloves (Peeled)
• Parsley
• Nuts (Can be cashews, walnuts, peanuts, etc, Your choice) (Optional)
• Crème Fraiche/Double Cream (Optional)
• Seasoning

Equipment:

• Blender

o    Okay, I know many of you don’t always have a blender but I’m sure one of your mates has one, if not you can get one cheap for about a tenner from Tescos or Argos. That’s what I did and you don’t need those fancy ones, anyone will do.

Instructions:

1)     Turn oven on to about 180°C-200°C, and place garlic cloves in to roast for about 5-10 minutes or until soft and brown. (Amount of garlic you add is up to you, just think about who you might smooch later on).

o    If you want to add nuts, place them in to roast along with garlic (I quite like to use cashew or walnuts or even both, but again it’s all up to you.

2)     Cut up broccoli into florets, i.e. break it up into little trees for gummy bears.

3)     Boil some water and put about 1.5 tbsp of salt into it and dissolve. (The salt gives it a slight season, but also helps boil the water quicker and helps keep the greeny colour in the broccoli).

4)     Put your broccoli in and boil for about 3-5 minutes or until its still firm but a knife can pass through it relatively easy. (Overcooked and lumpy broccoli is never nice).

5)     Drain and place into blender (Keep at least a cup of the water to make blending easier).

6)     Remove your garlic (and nuts if you made any…hehe…nuts) from the oven and place into blender with the broccoli.

7)     Add your parsley and blend and mash it up altogether into your desired consistency. Maybe do a dance while you’re at it.

o    If the soup looks a little thick, add some of the water you kept to loosen it up.

8)     Add season to taste, such as salt and pepper.

9)     Serve in a bowl, garnish with a sprig of parsley and maybe some leftover nuts, serve and enjoy!

o    Top with crème fraiche or cream if you so desire.