Broccoli and almond soup

This is a super simple, 4 ingredient soup. The combination of roasted almonds and broccoli is surprisingly good. The trick is to roast the almonds evenly and well.

This was one of my early cookbooks; I have cooked at least half of its recipes. The soups are from around the world, including delicious purées like this one and elaborate one-dish meals. This is one of those books that will make you fall in love with soup!

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

1 1/2 lbs broccoli, tender green ones, diced into small bits 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (Imagine brand, Organic) 1/2 cup blanched almonds, ground into small bits in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle

1/2 cup milk Salt and black pepper to taste Heat the stock in a pot, add the broccoli, salt, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roast the almonds on low heat until golden brown in a small pan. Add most of the almonds to the soup, keeping some to top it. Simmer the soup for an additional 10-15 minutes after adding the almonds.

Purée the soup with a hand blender or kitchen blender till smooth.

Stir in milk—taste for seasonings.

Serve with the toasted almonds on top.

NOTE: You can leave out the milk to make this recipe vegan.