Italian Broccoli Soup Recipes

ITALIAN-STYLE BROCCOLI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in broccoli, potato, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• With a hand mixer or in a blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and reheat. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place the broccoli in a steamer basket.
• Steam over boiling water in a large covered saucepan for 3-5 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Saute the garlic, red pepper and shallots in a large skillet with the olive oil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the broccoli and mix well.
• Add the salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes and Asiago cheese.
• Toss lightly.

SICILIAN PASTA AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Heat the water for your pasta while you prepare the broccoli.
• In a shallow, 10-inch saute pot, heat the 1 cup olive oil over medium-high heat (see Cook's Note). Add the broccoli to the oil and season it with salt. Saute the broccoli for about 4 minutes, or until it takes on a toasty color. The broccoli will absorb a lot of the oil, so if you find your pot getting dry, just add a little more oil to it. Throw in the garlic and cook for about another minute, until it's slightly brown. Don't burn the garlic! Take the broccoli off the heat and set it aside.
• Prepare the penne according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and toss it in the pot with the broccoli, garlic, and olive oil. If the mixture seems dry, add a little more oil.
• Toss in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, stir, and garnish with the parsley.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse the sliced shallot under cold water and transfer to a large bowl.
• Cut the stalks away from the broccoli heads. Using a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the fibrous outer layer of the stalks so its light green insides emerge; compost or discard the outer layer. Thinly slice the stalks crosswise, then thinly slice the heads into bite-size pieces. (A mix of shapes and sizes adds texture to the salad, so chop up the broccoli a few ways; there's no one right way to go about it.) Transfer to the large bowl as you go, then transfer any loose bits from the cutting board to the bowl.
• Season the broccoli generously with salt and pepper, then add the almonds, pickled peppers, olives, oil, vinegar and provolone. Toss vigorously with a spoon until everything is combined and the broccoli is shiny with oil.
• Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar as needed. Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving. The salad improves with age as its flavors meld, and it can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Before serving, bring to room temperature and adjust salt, pepper, oil and vinegar to taste, as flavors change in the fridge.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut off the broccoli stems, then cut the stems into 1-inch-thick slices. Separate the florets into small pieces. Reserve the stems and florets separately.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high and add the olive oil. Stir in the onion, carrot, tomato, sweet potato and the broccoli stems, spread in an even layer and season generously with salt and pepper. Let the vegetables on the bottom sear without stirring until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garlic powder and stir with a wooden spoon to hydrate the spice in the fat and continue cooking for another minute or so. The tomato will start to break down and get jammy.
• Add the coconut water, raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to keep the soup at a gentle boil and continue cooking until all of the vegetables are mostly softened and the stock is imbued with savory flavor, about 10 minutes. For a creamier texture, remove the broccoli stems to snack on or discard; for more broccoli flavor (and roughage), leave the stems in.
• Stir in the broccoli florets and tofu, raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and cook until a paring knife easily cuts the stem part of a broccoli floret, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Carefully ladle the contents of the pot into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed, then add more coconut water or water to thin out the soup to your desired thickness.
• Serve hot in shallow bowls, each serving dolloped with a spoonful of fridge-cold ricotta, if using, and lightly drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with herbs, if desired.