Soup is often the saving grace when it comes to preparing a nutritious dinner on the fly. This week’s Heinen’s 4PM Panic recipe is easy and delicious. My entire family enjoys it, especially the garlic chips. Why these do not have their own section in the chip isle is beyond me. We would put these on anything. Make extra, trust me! We haven’t tried them on ice cream yet but I’m guessing it would be great. Garlic is as essential as olive oil. These two are the rock stars of most everything I cook.
Don’t be intimidated by the green color. I seem to be all about green these days. The rich vegetables available from local farms add color to our meals that in a few months we will wish we had more. Heinen’s is a great source for produce. Serve this soup with grilled chicken or fish and you have a complete meal. Have you checked out Heinen’s prepared foods section? It’s a great place to pick up that one element of your meal that you just don’t have time to make. As for getting the little ones to eat these wonderful vegetables…here’s my tip: Introduce, introduce and introduce again. I think we finally broke our kids. We served broccoli again and again until one day they gave up, ate it willingly and WE WON!! Now Joe is 6′ 6″ and eats every vegetable. They all do.
Broccoli & Arugula Soup with Garlic Chips
Serves about 4
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of broccoli, roughly chopped (including the stems – peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup of arugula, packed (a few leaves extra for garnish)
- 1/3 cup of shallots or onion, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt + pepper
For the garlic chips:
- 10-12 cloves of very fresh garlic, sliced thin with a mandolin
- 4 tablespoons of grapeseed or peanut oil
Directions:
Start by making the garlic chips:
- Set up your area by placing a small saucepan with the grapeseed oil on the burner (but do not turn it on yet), and have a paper towel lined baking sheet nearby.
- Also have a small fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon nearby.
- Place the garlic in a medium saucepan with about an inch of cold water. Bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat and scoop out the garlic using the slotted spoon and rest it on the baking tray (keep the water in the pot, you will use it to blanch the vegetables).
- Heat up the saucepan with the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot enough (it will start to look wavy) then add the garlic.
- Add the garlic and give it a shake to make sure they don’t stick together. Cook the garlic until it just starts to brown, then remove it from the oil using the slotted spoon and place them on the paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Set aside until you’re ready to serve the soup.
Then, prepare the soup:
- Set up your area to blanch the veggies. Using the same saucepan and water that you used to blanch the garlic, add some more water so it is 3/4 of the way to the top and season with salt.
- Bring it to a boil.
- While you are waiting for it to boil, prepare a large bowl of water with ice (which you will use after you blanch the veggies).
- First, blanch the arugula for about 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place it in the ice water.
- Then, using the same pot and boiling water, add the broccoli and blanch for about 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
- Remove the broccoli and place it into the ice water bath, and reserve the boiling water (you will use 2 cups of this for the soup).
- Strain the broccoli and arugula from the ice water.
- Then, in a small pan, heat the grapeseed oil and sautee the onions and garlic on medium low heat. You want them to be very soft but be careful not to brown them.
- In a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, add the sautéed onions and garlic, the arugula and the broccoli.
- Then, add in two tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and about two cups of the warm blanching water.
- Blend on high until you have a very smooth puree.
- Taste and adjust any seasoning accordingly. Assemble the soup, topping with extra arugula and garlic chips.
This recipe comes from my friend Jodi from the award winning Blog, What’s Cooking Good Looking. She has a wealth of healthful recipes all designed to make you feel and look your best.
By the way, have you heard about Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ program? Sign up for free to receive exclusive weekly specials via email and earn Heinen’s rewards. As a Tasteful Rewards™ membership benefit, Heinen’s will donate up to 1% of your qualified purchases made between September and April to a local school of your choice through their Teaming Up for Education Program. CLICK HERE to sign up for Heinen’s Tasteful Rewards™ and, trust me, this is one email that will always please your palate!
Photographer Sally Roeckell specializes in contemporary lifestyle portraiture with an emphasis on food photography. She regularly shops at Heinen’s for the family dishes she features via Table and Dish on Instagram and on her website at TableAndDish.com.
Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meathead’s) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
