A Duo of Soups for Busy Cooks

(This broccoli soup tastes MUCH better than it looks!)

Today I am simply sharing two soups that are easy, delicious, and can be made at the same time. You either end up with two great meals or you can freeze one of the soups for another time. They are both non-dairy so they are very light and healthy. The best part-you are likely to have the ingredients on hand for either one, so in the time it will take you to read more of the blog, two dinners can be ready! Toddler heads up: if your child is like mine, pureed foods are definitely off the list of things he will eat! So I just keep some veggies on the side for his dinner. I eat them warm or chilled for this great summer-like weather.

The original recipes come from two of my favorite blogs. The recipe for the cauliflower soup is adapted from Smitten Kitchen while the broccoli is adapted from Orangette.

The night before (sleeping children means easy food prep!) I cut up each of the following vegetables and I put them in a separate containers: the leeks, onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower. You will notice that both recipes are so similar that it is easy to make them side by side on the stove.

In terms of stock, sure, homemade is great, but is hard to pull together. My favorite substitute is "Better Than Bouillon", which is quite good. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to keep in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Soup
1 head of broccoli---about 1 1/2 pounds, stalks peeled and stalks and florets cut up.
2 medium leeks, washed carefully and sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan to sprinkle--optional

Saute the onions and leeks in olive oil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and cauliflower and heat to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Follow directions below.

Cauliflower Soup
1 head cauliflower, greens removed and white part cut up.
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan to sprinkle--optional

Saute the onions and garlic on medium heat for about 5 minutes, being careful not to brown it. Add the stock and cauliflower and heat to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Follow directions below.

Final Steps for Both Soups: Carefully use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Or, if you want to puree the soup in the blender, let the soup cool a bit. Then, really carefully ladle some in the blender. Cover and put a kitchen towel on top. Don't fill the blender too much or the soup could spill all over. Serve hot or chilled.