CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP WITH BROCCOLI RABE

Creamy Broccoli Soup With Broccoli Rabe image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories appetizer, main course, side dish

Time 1h

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

8 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed, stalks peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Small pinch cayenne
4 stalks broccoli rabe, ends trimmed off

Steps:

Place the yogurt in a sieve lined with a paper towel. Set aside until all of the liquid has drained off, several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli stalks and florets and 3 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the broccoli is soft, about 20 minutes.
Place half of the broccoli and cooking liquid with half of the yogurt in a blender. Hold the top down firmly with a kitchen towel and blend until coarsely pureed. Scrape the mixture into a large saucepan and repeat with the remaining broccoli, cooking liquid and yogurt. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, the salt, pepper and cayenne. Warm the soup over low heat.
Separate the broccoli rabe stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces and cut the leaves across into thin strips. Bring a medium-size pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the stems and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the leaves and blanch for 1 minute. Drain. Divide the soup among 4 bowls. Top with the broccoli rabe stems and then the leaves and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 201, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 27 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1133 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams