For us, this is hands down the best soup ever. Yep, this is the Clean Eating Broccoli and Leek soup I make twice weekly during the Winter, everyone loves it (it's cheesy :) it's filling, it's healthy and it's an effortless way to get some veggies into the kids. Give it a go, this firm family favorite is good, really good!
Broccoli And Leek Soup
A huge bowl of warming soup during those chilly Winter months is hard to beat, isn't it. I really like the ritual of a soup bubbling away gently on the stove top filling the house with the smell of home cooking - it takes me right back! And some soups in this house are more popular than others, but this is the one the kids actually get excited about. I kid you not - it's possible to get excited about a soup :)
The ingredients are simple: Broccoli, Leeks, Vegetable stock and cheese. I use my vegetable stock recipe on this site, I always have a batch in the fridge so it's always on hand. If you don't have any homemade stock ready to go and don't have the time to make a batch, feel free to use shop bought stock. You can buy Organic stock cubes like these ones, so you don't have to have the homemade stock.
Nutrients In Soup
Boiling vegetables in water means that inevitably they lose some of their nutrients in the water as they cook, which we then pour down the drain once they're cooked. As well as being delicious, this Broccoli and Leek soup avoids this: the vegetables are cooked from raw in the same pan, so all the goodness is kept in one pan.
You can add other vegetables to this soup, but I stick to Broccoli and Leeks.
If you do want to add another vegetable or two, I'd recommend using veggies without a strong flavor. The broccoli in this soup is the overwhelming taste and I find that many kids eat Broccoli without a problem. I've always taken this is a huge win and so quit while I'm ahead :)
Cheesy Soup
Now, the cheese aspect of this soup is likely one of the reasons (or maybe the reason!) that this soup is so popular. I don't use vast quantities, just enough to be quite cheesy, and just enough to not have to add a lot of salt to the soup, and it's added a shredded cheese on the top of the soup right when I'm serving it, so you get melted cheesiness as you're eating it. Yum :)
For this soup, I use a Cheddar soup. Whenever I use cheddar I like to use a really strong one. Firstly, we love cheese and secondly, I think you can get away with using less than if you're using a milder cheddar. Of course, go with the cheese your kids like here, there's no hard and fast rules!
More Warming Soup Recipes
Which is exactly what I came home to after chasing Trina and Nora (the pigs). I ate this delicious, creamy and thick broccoli and leek soup (yes, there's enough left for dinner) while I eyed out my scratches and tended my wounded pride. I'm going to avoid that farmer for at least two weeks.
Broccoli & Leek Soup Recipe
Broccoli & Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Large Broccoli heads Chopped into small pieces
- 3 Leeks Trimmed and cut into small pieces
- 1 Cup Vegetable stock Either homemade or Organic stock cubes
- 1 Liter Water The amount of water will depend on the size of your pan. There are no hard and fast rules, simply top the pan up once the veggies are in.
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- Cheddar Shredded, as much or as little as liked!
Instructions
- Put the chopped Broccoli, Leeks, stock and salt into a large pan
- Top the pan up with water to about 2 inches from the top
- Bring the pan to the boil and turn the heat down so the soup simmers. Simmer the soup for 1-2 hours, until all the vegetables have broken down, or are very soft
- Using a hand blender and a soup guard, blend the soup in the pan, and then divide into bowls
- Add shredded cheddar as required!
