Broccoli Leek Soup with Basil Pesto

Updated: April 30, 2020

Bone Health Recipes Banner
Bone Health Recipes Banner

Broccoli Leek Soup

Monica Straith
Want an easy and delicious way to get your greens? Look no further and try this broccoli leek soup.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 servings
Calories 264 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb broccoli
  • 4 tbsp butter organic
  • 1 large leek halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half moons
  • sea salt (sea salt has mineral content)
  • 2 tbsp miso organic, dissolved in 4 cups hot water (Miso = fermented soybeans, pro-biotic effects)
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt whole organic (same rationale as the butter; also you want whole not reduced fat because the fat soluble vitamins – e.g., K2 – are in the fat!)

Optional

  • 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (instead of miso)
  • 1 large red onion organic, diced (instead of leek)

To garnish

  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • olive oil extra virgin
  • pinch chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cut the florets off the broccoli stalks and set aside. Trim any brown spots off the stalks, halve lengthwise if thick and slice ¼-inch thick.
  • Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, broccoli stems and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often until the broccoli stems are just starting to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and 3 cups of the stock. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is hot and the florets are just tender, about 5 minutes more. The goal is to keep the soup bright green and for the broccoli to keep some of its texture, so take care not to overcook it.
  • Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the basil pesto and yogurt. Puree with a hand blender until there are no large chunks of broccoli or leek. Add a little more stock if you’d like your soup a bit thinner. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Notes

For most pureed soups, I like a super-smooth texture so I puree them in a blender. I puree but never strain; for a healthy gut/digestive system, you want the fiber! For this soup, I prefer a more rustic texture so I opt for my hand blender and don’t process it for very long. 
If you don’t have a hand blender, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender. If you go this route, take care not to fill your blender jar more than ⅔ full, otherwise the steam from the hot soup can blow the lid off your blender. Getting burned by hot soup is no fun–trust me on this one.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 1320mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2120IUVitamin C: 105.8mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 1.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
broccoli
Bone Health Recipes Banner

Basil Pesto

Monica Straith
Easy and delicious!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup basil leaves organic
  • 1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese grated, organic
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts toasted, organic (pine nuts are often from China – do not eat these unless certified organic!)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 clove garlic (I actually use ½ organic red onion instead as my husband, Joe, is allergic to garlic)
  • splash lemon juice Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the pesto reaches desired consistency. Thin with a little olive oil if desired. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste.organic (conventional has pesticide residues)
  • pinch sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the pesto reaches desired consistency. Thin with a little olive oil if desired. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gPotassium: 62mgVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 1.3mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Want more recipes like this broccoli leek soup? Fill in the information below and receive your FREE Bone Healthy Recipes Ebook.

[recipe_widget]

Article Comments

Add New Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This article features advice from our industry experts to give you the best possible info through cutting-edge research.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Loren Fishman
MD, B.Phil.,(oxon.) - Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Founder of the Yoga Injury Prevention Website.,
Prof. Didier Hans
PHD, MBA - Head of Research & Development Center of Bone Diseases, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Switzerland,