Yesterday I gave my heart to beets. Today I want to give my heart (and soul) to potatoes and broccoli. They deserve a little love as well.
You see these huge bins? Not only do they make a great place to take a break, but they make a wonderful home for a ton of potatoes.
When Taylor and I were farming at Hutchins Farm we would harvest potatoes all afternoon in the Fall. The worst part about digging for potatoes is that it is back breaking the WHOLE time. Hours spent in the direct sun lifting heavy bucket after heavy bucket of potatoes can really make a girl cranky. I used to curse potatoes every time we had to harvest them. My back and hamstrings will never be the same again!
However, once dinnertime came rolling around all would be forgiven. There really isn’t anything better than a fresh potato straight from the ground. It only took one bite for me to forget all of my aches and pains.
When you pair fresh potatoes with freshly picked broccoli amazing things can happen.
The soup recipe below may not have freshly picked potatoes or broccoli in it, but the local grocery store I purchased my goods at is the next best thing.
This soup is definitely not photogenic, but it is SO stinking tasty and simple that I could not resist going back for a second helping. Sometimes ugly things need a second chance!
Grab a soup spoon, blast your favorite Pandora music station, and dig in. Potato broccoli soup to the rescue.
Here is what ya need: (serves 4-6)
1 tbs olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced (if you don’t LOVE garlic, use 2-3 cloves)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 heads of broccoli, chopped into bite size florets
1 large baking potato, (or 2 small) cut into 1/4 inch pieces
about 4 cups veggie stock
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
a drizzle of balsamic to garnish
In a large soup pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Cook for about 3 more minutes stirring often. Add the potato, broccoli and paprika. Cook for 1 minute. Add the veggie stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes. With an immersion blender or regular blender puree the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Taste test and add anymore seasonings if you need. Serve warm with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
This soup looks lovely and delicious. Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies, especially for soup.
wow! I bet it’s fun to have such a fresh meal and literally know where everything comes from!!!!! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best way to store potatoes- I know they last long but I’m never quite sure where the best place to put them is 🙂
The absolute best place would be a root cellar. However, I don’t have one of those and I am guessing you dont either! Keep them in a paper bag in a cool and dark place. They should last a really long time that way!
I always forget just how comforting potatoes can be but they really are! Especially in soup form and paired with broccoli. Yum!
It’s cold and nasty here, so I’m so ready for a bowl of this soup! It looks so hearty and delicious (and healthy!)
Soup is SO my thing this time of year. It keeps me warm and hopeful that spring will arrive soon 🙂 I love that you mentioned Pandora. My husband and I always relax to Pandora (typically the Frank Sinatra station) while cooking and enjoying dinner!
Mmm I don’t think there’s any soup more comforting than broccoli! I’ve never tried a fresh picked potato (that I know of), but considering they’re one of my favourite foods, I can only imagine how good it would be!
So simple and satisfying. I like that drizzle of balsamic vinegar. We always eat dinner listening favorite Pandora stations. I have a feeling I’m gonna make that soup today…just can’t wait any longer 🙂
Broccoli soup & potato soup are both favorites of mine, so combining them sounds amazing to me! 😀
Such a delicious, hearty soup for chilly winter nights. Great recipe!
Love it! I really like brightly-colored soups, so drawn to the color! It sounds wonderfully simple and delicious, too. Pureed potatoes in soup just make the broth so rich and fluffy, such a great texture!
And OMG. I can’t even imagine what a pain harvesting that insane amount of potatoes must have been like! I helped my dad harvest our 12 potato plants one year and was super sore after that, let alone several days in a row of digging up hundreds of pounds of them. You must’ve had a spine of steel at the end of that month!
I am such a lover of broccoli. I eat it on a daily basis. I have never, though, tried making a soup. This must change! Especially now that you’ve tempted me with such delectable pictures. I think the melding of the broccoli and the potato is brilliant! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you had a fabulous week, and I hope your weekend brims with good food, laughter, and love.
Ugly things need a second chance…lol. That purple broccoli caught my eye. Have you ever had cheddar broccoli?
you’re right, this soup definitely does not have the flashiness of your beet soup, but I’m sure it is just as tasty!! p.s. could you be any cuter?! 🙂
you are TOO sweet!
Yum! I think it’s photogenic– love that balsamic drizzle!!
The physical labor of farming amazes me– I don’t think I could do it!!
I love soups made with pureed potato – so delicious! I must put this recipe into my winter soup rotation!
oh yum! potato? and broccoli? and vegan? that’s awesome!
[…] Monday: Creamy Broccoli and Potato Soup (via Andrea from A Farmer in The Dell) […]
Ooo, yum! This looks delicious!!
That soup is beautiful to my eye. Love broccoli soup and I just defrosted some veggie stock, so… If you like curry, it might make a nice variation. Take care.
P.S. I don’t know if you follow Pete & Jen’s Backyard Birds from your prior life, but they are expecting a baby boy in June!
That’s so exciting about Pete and Jen! Thanks for the update! I hope you are well jean!
I made this last night and it was A-MAZ-ING! I can’t wait for my lunch break so that I can enjoy leftovers 🙂 I put a few sprinklings of Parmesan on top and served it with blue corn chips. So, so good!
I make my broccoli & potato soup the same way! I love the added topped drizzles of balsamic vinegar on top: so tasty too!
I’ve had to go dairy free after the birth of our second child. Thank goodness I stumbled on your website. I cannot tell you in words how incredible this soup is! My entire family LOVED it and I’ve made it twice since last Wednesday, ha-ha! It’s that good! Thank you!!
As someone who usually only cooks for two, I am so excited about the creamy potato and broccoli soup category! Thanks for adding this feature. This new recipe looks amazing too. I had featured u in the post of Top 7 Soup Recipes for Mothers on AllFreshRecipes, expect ur more delicious dishes!
Excellent soup! Made it tonight for the family and they all really liked it! I did add 1 can of canellini beans to the cooking veg. When I blended it all up, the white beans made it creamy and added protein and fiber!
I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this soup! I love adding white beans to “beef” up soups like this. Sounds fantastic!