If green is the colour of well-being, then this soup is a health bomb. Roasting the vegetables serves to infuse each spoonful with smoky flavour, beans add body, feta offers salty richness, and microgreens provide a sense of spring freshness. Other little greens such as mustard, arugula, clover, and radish will also be most welcomed in this blend.
Into the fire
Placing vegetables directly on a hot pan encourages them to immediately start roasting for better browning, and that equals more yum.
Roasted Broccoli Microgreen Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1 in (2.5 cm) wedges
- 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth, preferably salt free
- 2 cups (500 mL) microgreens, plus more for garnish
- 3 oz feta cheese, chopped (about 1/2 cup/125 mL), plus more for garnish
- 1 cup (250 mL) cooked or canned navy beans
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder (optional)
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories270
- protein13g
- fat13g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates33g
- sugars7g
- fibre7g
- sodium316mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) and place a rimmed baking sheet in oven as it heats. Toss broccoli, onion, and garlic with oil and salt. Spread out on hot baking sheet and roast until broccoli is darkened in spots, about 25 minutes, stirring once.
02
Place broth, roasted vegetables, microgreens, feta, beans, lemon juice, and chili powder (if using) in blender or food processor container and blend until smooth. Warm soup in saucepan, and thin as needed with additional broth or water.
03
Serve soup garnished with additional microgreens and feta, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of oil.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Tourtière AU Cerf
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
Artichauts en Barigoule
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.