Foodbuzz Family Bites: Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup

This recipe, filed under "lunch", is a quick, creamy vegetable soup that can be whipped up very quickly. The trio of vegetables in this soup is accented by white wine vinegar and white pepper, both adding a subtle taste that brightens the flavors along with the addition of lemon rind to finish.

Also, there is no cream here. The "creamy" texture is achieved by oatmeal being cooked with the simmering soup mixture before being pureed. I used a blender, but an immersion blender would speed the process up more. I did find that a dollop of sour cream stirred into each individual portion also added a nice smoothness to the soup, so adding about 1/4 cup to the entire soup would also work.

Recipe after jump

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Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup
recipe by Christina Provo

A comforting soup that's packed full of healthy vegetables. While the soup contains no actual cream, the addition of oatmeal helps to bind the soup together after it’s pureed.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 35 minutes

Ingredients -

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water mixed with 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon
3 cups water
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups coarsely sliced portobello mushrooms
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoons plus 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Sour cream for serving
Finely grated lemon zest

Directions -

1. Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a medium-sized pot on high heat. Once boiling, add broccoli and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and maintain a rapid simmer.


2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add onion and saute for 1 minute. Stir in basil, white pepper, and salt. Add mushrooms, spinach, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; saute for 2 minutes or until spinach has reduced and mushrooms have cooked down a little. Deglaze the skillet with white wine vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer content to the pot with broccoli and stir in oatmeal. Simmer on medium for 15 minutes.


3. Carefully ladle a third of the soup into a blender or food processor. Cover and puree until smooth, pouring the soup into a bowl. Repeat with remaining soup. (You can use an immersion blender instead, pureeing soup right in the pot until completely smooth.) Pour back into pot, taste for seasonings, and simmer until heated thoroughly. Serve with parsley, sour cream, and lemon zest.