Creamless Broccoli Soup

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 stalks broccoli
• 4 1/2 cups water or 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• minced fresh chives
• lemon slice, garnish (paper thin)

Recipe

• 1 combine in a soup pot the oil, onions, celery, garlic and salt.
• 2 cook covered on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• 3 meanwhile, rinse the broccoli, cut into 4-5 cups of florets, and peel and chop the stems to make about 2 cups.
• 4 reserve 1 cup of florets.
• 5 when the onions are clear, add 4 cups of the water or stock and all the broccoli except for the reserved florets.
• 6 cover and bring to a boil.
• 7 lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• 8 add the oats and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the broccoli is tender and the soup begins to thicken.
• 9 remove from the heat and then stir in the lemon juice, dill and pepper.
• 10 working in batches, puree the soup (in a blender, preferably) until smooth.
• 11 bring the remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small sauce pan.
• 12 add the reserved broccoli florets and cook, covered, until they are bright green and crisp tender, about 3-5 minutes.
• 13 stir the florets and their cooking water into the soup.
• 14 garnish with lemon slices and chives if desired.
• 15 serve.