Eating the Trash--Broccoli Stem Soup

Shortly after returning from the dream trip to South Korea, I found myself in Home Depot, probably picking up some composted manure.  Whether there were other items on the list that day, I have no idea.  However, I was and am always on the lookout for any deals.  And did I ever score that day.  Five flats of cabbage and two flats of broccoli for $5 each.  And while a couple of the plants on the edges were a bit sorry looking as is often the case, for the most part these veggie plants were beautiful.  It would have been a crime to leave them there.  (Well, I had to leave half of them.  There’s only so much broccoli and cabbage a person can eat.) 

I gave a flat or flat and a half away to my son and a good friend and planted the rest, tucking them in among veggies that were already growing.  And somewhat surprisingly, these cole crops performed much better than any of my other crops this year.  It was, unfortunately, a terrible year for tomatoes and peppers.  Locally, I wasn’t alone in my observation.

Naturally, that was too much cabbage for us and while I’m been eating as much as possible, I had to give away a lot, too.  And that’s ok.  KOTPE didn’t do well with his cabbage and the deer ate my friend’s.  Another gardening friend didn’t get to harvest any cabbage at all this year, and she greatly appreciated mine.  I gave her the biggest cabbage she had ever seen. 

As far as the broccoli goes, it grew quite well and we enjoyed a lot of it in stir-fry meals and salads, especially the broccoli-wheat-bacon one.  That is a family favorite. 

I had been wanting to try cream of broccoli soup using the stems and froze a good supply of them.  I just had to wait for cooler temperatures.  Broccoli soup is going to be a hard sell anyway.  It’s a lot more difficult when the weather is still warm.

Broccoli Stem Soup

5-6 cups sliced or chopped broccoli stems

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pints chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Milk or cream, optional

In a large saucepan, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until tender, adding small amounts of water as necessary to prevent burning. Add broth, salt, and pepper and boil for about 15 minutes until the veggies are very soft. Let cool for a few minutes, and then blend in small batches to the desired consistency.  Store in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve the soup, thin in a 1:1 ratio with milk, cream, or broth as desired and heat. Garnish with grated cheese and broccoli florets.

Family reviews:  Becky about died when she heard what was on the menu.  She loathes broccoli.  And, as she chose to point out, the last time I made broccoli soup, it was so bad that I told the kids they didn’t have to eat it.  That has only happened about once per decade.  So she did not have high hopes for this meal.  In her words, “It wasn’t particularly revolting, but I wouldn’t care to have it again.”  I thought it tasted pretty good and will be having it for lunch.  Aaron’s blood sugars were high, so he couldn’t eat anything more than salad that night.