Creamy Broccoli Soup:  This is one of my favorite soups in Appetite for Life because it tastes delicious, nutritious, and it fills you up, too!  Kids love to help make this simple soup by chopping (for little fingers use a plastic cutting knife or have your child pull the spears apart using his fingers) broccoli and potatoes; and helping to put all the ingredients in the stock pot!  Older kids can help with the blender and peel potatoes, too.  Make sure to have extra low-fat cheddar cheese on-hand because as I’ve been told by the kids, “they love cheese more than candy!”

I typically avoid “creamy soups” because they are usually high in saturated fat, but our creamy soup—healthy and slimmed down–is most definitely an exception.  Sip a serving of this light but filling low-fat soup for calcium, and vitamins A and C.  Triple the recipe for a week’s worth of soup!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 cups water
3 cups broccoli florets
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
¼  teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup shredded 50% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
½ cup finely chopped chives

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender and translucent, 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring.
2. Add flour to vegetable mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir in water and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Add broccoli and potatoes; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are fork-tender. Remove saucepan from heat.
4. Pour about one-third of soup into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to let steam escape, and blend until pureed. (Or, use an immersion blender and puree in saucepan).
5. 

   Thumbs up from the Seedlings!

   Pour soup into large bowl and repeat with remaining mixture. Return all soup to saucepan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper and heat through over medium heat.

6. To serve, ladle soup into 9 soup bowls; top with Cheddar and chives divided evenly among bowls.

Makes 9 servings (1 cup per serving).

Nutrition Facts per serving: 90 calories; 3g fat (1g sat fat, 1g mono, 0g trans fats); 5mg cholesterol; 13g carbohydrate (2g fiber, 3g sugar); 5g protein; 80mg sodium; 20% Daily Value (DV) vitamin A; 60% DV vitamin C; 10% DV calcium; 6% DV iron.

What’s your favorite way to serve broccoli for family meal-time?

– Stacey Antine, MS, RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.