BROCCOLI AND GREENS SOUP

An easy soup that's delicious warm or chilled... perfect for cold, rainy evenings or warm summer evenings. And, you can chop up the vegetables while the onions and garlic are sautéing, put them all into the pan, add water, cook still soft, season with salt and pepper, and blend! It's important to use fresh vegetables, not frozen, because really the soup gets all its flavour from the vegetables, herbs, and really good quality salt and pepper. 

Herbs: you can use parsley or cilantro if you don't have fennel greens.

Serve the soup with this herb focaccia, any other bread, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, or just by itself. If you want it spicy, add a dash of hot sauce, more black pepper, or red chile flakes.

Broccoli and Greens Soup
Makes: 6 main servings

- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium heads broccoli
- 1 small sweet potato
- 2 medium carrots
- 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 4 collard leaves, coarsely chopped or torn into pieces
- 3 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup fennel greens, parsley, or cilantro
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tbsp. ghee, or butter (or olive oil, in a pinch, but that'll change the flavour)

1. Cut the broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, and celery into approximately 1 in. chunks.
2. On a medium flame, heat the ghee in a large pan and sauté onions and garlic.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, sweet potato, collard greens, and broccoli and sauté for 2-3 min.
4. Add the 4 cups of water and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are just soft, not colourless and soggy.
5. Turn the heat off. Stir in the spinach, fennel greens, salt, and pepper.
6. Cool the cooked vegetables and blend into a smooth soup, adding more water if needed to get the consistency you like.Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
7. Before serving, heat the soup on medium heat - don't boil!
8. Ladle into a bowl and serve garnished with minced parsley or shredded cheese and extra pepper. Enjoy!