Enjoying the warmth of pureed soups and always looking to try something new in the Vitamix, I decided to try a broccoflower-kale soup inspired by this Williams-Sonoma recipe for Cauliflower-Kale Soup. Another delicious, healthy choice that is easy to prepare and flavorful enough the whole family will love. Plus the green color of this soup is just so pretty! I also enjoyed using Copper Pot Kitchen’s Roasted Garlic Infused Olive Oil as a nice substitute for crushing and chopping garlic cloves.
Broccoflower and Kale Soup
- 1 head broccoflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 4 1/2 Tbs Copper Pot Kitchen Roasted Garlic Infused Olive Oil*
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 large bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn into smaller pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 7 cups vegetable broth (you can also use chicken broth for a non-vegan soup)
- 1/3 cup cashews, unsalted
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
*you can use plain extra virgin olive and finely chop 3 cloves of garlic in place of the garlic infused olive oil
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoflower with 2 Tbs. of the garlic olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in oven, stirring occasionally, until the broccoflower is tender and slightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350°F.
In a bowl, toss 1/3 of the kale with 1/2 Tbs of the garlic olive oil and season with salt. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in oven, stirring once halfway through, until the kale is crispy, 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs garlic olive oil. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8-10 minutes. (Add the garlic now if not using infused olive oil and stir constantly for 2 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper. Add the broccoflower and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn off heat and uncover, stir in the remaining kale and add 1/3 cup unsalted cashews to let soak and cool for 10 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in on high in a Vitamix (or other blender) for 1 minute. Return the soup to the pot and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with the crispy kale, pine nuts, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve.