Hearty and savory, we think you are going to love this stuff!
Brent aptly pointed out that it is very reminiscent of split-pea soup. But we agree, it’s so much better than that! It’s thick and rich… First, you taste that bold broccoli. Then, a hint of asparagus, quickly followed by a smokey, salty, bacon-y goodness. Last, but not least, a warmth from the red pepper flakes rounds out the flavors on your palate.
Warning: this recipe makes A LOT of soup. How much is A LOT? Four quarts. Or 16 cups. Or 3.78541 liters. Yea… it’s A LOT. We froze one quart immediately. I’m excited to have it on hand once the weather chills out a bit.
Ingredients
1/2 lb bacon, diced, plus 1 slice for garnish (US Wellness Meats Whole30 bacon)
1 and 1/2 lbs asparagus, cut into approx. 1 inch pieces (woody stems removed)
1 and 1/2 lbs broccoli florets
4 C chicken broth
2 C of water
1 large vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or diced
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
Method
Cook the bacon in the bottom of a large pot. Sauté until nearly crispy (about 2 minutes).
Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft (about 2-4 minutes).
Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; stir it up.
Add the asparagus and broccoli. Pour in the chicken broth and water.
Boil until broccoli and asparagus are soft (about 15-20 minutes).
Allow the soupy mix to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Puree everything in a food processor (or blender or what-have-you) and blend until smooth.
Dice up the remaining slice of bacon and pan fry it until crispy.
Pour the soup into bowls, sprinkle with a few pieces of crispy bacon for garnish, and serve!
You could also serve this soup cold. Just allow it to cool a little longer before packaging it up and popping it in the fridge. In fact, in this weather, you may prefer to do that. 😉 I on the other hand, work in a freezer-like office building, so hot soup for lunch is absolutely lovely and on some days a necessity.
As I already mentioned, this recipe makes a lot so I strongly recommend you do as we did and freeze some of it for later (unless you plan on serving it to a large group of family and friends at your next dinner party, of course). 🙂 Enjoy!
Oooh! Looks so yummy! Can't wait to try it! Congrats on the Lunchbots win! 🙂
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Mmmm…sounds awesome. It's definitely soup weather here in Maine. I will add it to my “try” list for the coming month.
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This looks perfect! My family is picky about soups, nothing sweet, nothing with an unusual spice :). And I don’t eat dairy so broccoli cheese wouldn’t work. Thanks!
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We MUST have this!!!
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I love this soup so much!
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