Giggle Pill and Broccoli Soup

In case Monday is raining all over your parade, I saw this over at Ill Behaviour and laughed almost nonstop through the entire song.

Even if you didn't need a giggle, I feel like I should provide at least a little humor considering the recipe I'm about to share with you on a Monday. Liz typically provides a comfort food recipe to alleviate any case of the Mondays, but my Green B.E.A.N. bin came with an abundance of broccoli this week. I know, broccoli gets a bad wrap, but this soup, inspired by this recipe, is legit.

It looks like Christmas in a bowl! I know, another green food. You're turned off. Stop. I put it in an orange bowl! Everyone knows that the color orange is known to stimulate appetite! Plus it goes well with the green. The unexpected combo of roasted apples with roasted broccoli is spot on, and the thyme and tarragon tie in perfectly. Coconut oil helps with a silky smooth texture; the cilantro was motivated purely by the desire to spiffy up the picture. Totally optional, though I do love the freshness a nice chop of the green brings. Did you know that some people have genetic makeup that makes the lovely herb taste like soap?  Unlucky.

Roasted Broccoli and Apple Soup


Ingredients


2 granny smith apples, cored
300g broccoli, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp parsley flakes
2 tbsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp dried tarragon leaves
pinch sea salt
pinch smoked paprika
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp coconut oil
1-2 cups vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop the apples and toss with 1 tbsp of coconut oil, parsley flakes and 1 tbsp each of the thyme and tarragon. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a large saute pan and saute garlic and broccoli broccoli 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the apples and additional tbsp of thyme and tarragon and saute an additional minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and bring to a boil. Blend in batches or with an immersion blender until smooth, adding additional stock as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Sprinkle with paprika and cilantro for Christmas.