Broccoli Leek Soup with Basil Pesto

Updated: April 30, 2020

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Broccoli Leek Soup

Monica Straith
Want an easy and delicious way to get your greens? Look no further and try this broccoli leek soup.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4 servings
Calories 264 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb broccoli
  • 4 tbsp butter organic
  • 1 large leek halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half moons
  • sea salt (sea salt has mineral content)
  • 2 tbsp miso organic, dissolved in 4 cups hot water (Miso = fermented soybeans, pro-biotic effects)
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt whole organic (same rationale as the butter; also you want whole not reduced fat because the fat soluble vitamins – e.g., K2 – are in the fat!)

Optional

  • 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (instead of miso)
  • 1 large red onion organic, diced (instead of leek)

To garnish

  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • olive oil extra virgin
  • pinch chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cut the florets off the broccoli stalks and set aside. Trim any brown spots off the stalks, halve lengthwise if thick and slice ¼-inch thick.
  • Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, broccoli stems and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often until the broccoli stems are just starting to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and 3 cups of the stock. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup is hot and the florets are just tender, about 5 minutes more. The goal is to keep the soup bright green and for the broccoli to keep some of its texture, so take care not to overcook it.
  • Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the basil pesto and yogurt. Puree with a hand blender until there are no large chunks of broccoli or leek. Add a little more stock if you’d like your soup a bit thinner. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Notes

For most pureed soups, I like a super-smooth texture so I puree them in a blender. I puree but never strain; for a healthy gut/digestive system, you want the fiber! For this soup, I prefer a more rustic texture so I opt for my hand blender and don’t process it for very long. 
If you don’t have a hand blender, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender. If you go this route, take care not to fill your blender jar more than ⅔ full, otherwise the steam from the hot soup can blow the lid off your blender. Getting burned by hot soup is no fun–trust me on this one.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 1320mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2120IUVitamin C: 105.8mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 1.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Basil Pesto

Monica Straith
Easy and delicious!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup basil leaves organic
  • 1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese grated, organic
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts toasted, organic (pine nuts are often from China – do not eat these unless certified organic!)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 clove garlic (I actually use ½ organic red onion instead as my husband, Joe, is allergic to garlic)
  • splash lemon juice Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the pesto reaches desired consistency. Thin with a little olive oil if desired. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste.organic (conventional has pesticide residues)
  • pinch sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the pesto reaches desired consistency. Thin with a little olive oil if desired. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gPotassium: 62mgVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 1.3mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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This article features advice based on cutting-edge research from our industry experts to give you the best possible information to support your bone-building journey.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Emma Gasinski
PT, DPT, RYT - Physical therapist and certified yoga teacher with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals,
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) A. May
MD, FACP, Harvard Medical School Graduate, Physician, Author, Public Speaker - Doctor of Internal Medicine at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and author of several articles and books, including the widely utilized and best selling medical textbook Primary Care Medicine,