A comforting winter potato and broccoli soup recipe (patatesli brokoli çorbası). That’s what’s on the agenda. Well, it is winter!
We need warm, we need cosy – and potato and broccoli soup certainly fits that bill.
Seasonal Eating
One of the great pleasures of our life in Turkey is the seasonal cooking and eating.
Yes, we are getting to that stage in Fethiye now where supermarkets are beginning to sell imported fruits and vegetables so that we have them on demand, year round.
But for us, there’s nothing better than going to the big market in Fethiye and stocking up on the latest seasonal produce that is in abundance. For starters, this produce is great for the food budget.
Eat seasonally; eat well; eat cheaply.
And when you’ve got a glut of something; that’s when you’re forced to get creative with different recipes.
Winter Greens
And winter greens – the foods of dread during childhood – are very much on the menu right now. No longer dreaded, of course.
As 40-somethings, we’ve grown out of all that, now.
We even get excited at the sight of all those rich greens piled high on the market stalls.
Buy now; worry about what to do with it all later.
Broccoli in its prime. It’s a beautiful, natural work of art isn’t it? And in winter, there is an abundance of broccoli!
In Turkish restaurants, you’re likely to see broccoli in the meze fridge – a cold broccoli salad dressed with olive oil, lemon and garlic.
Simplicity that celebrates the flavours, colour and texture of this vegetable perfectly.
We also like to eat broccoli with yoghurt. There aren’t many foods in Turkey where yoghurt is considered to be an unsuitable accompaniment.
But in the really cold winter months – and we do get some cold winters in Fethiye – it’s all about broccoli soup.
Thick and healthy and creamy – but without the cream. This is broccoli soup without cream.
Not only does the potato make the broccoli soup more filling, it also thickens it.
And it makes for a more creamy soup without upping the fat content as cream would.
The great thing about homemade soups is they’re easy. You can make a huge panful and they’re as healthy and tasty as you want them to be.
You have complete control of your ingredients – no hidden extras.
Potato and broccoli soup is winter comfort in a bowl...
Potato & Broccoli Soup Recipe – The Ingredients
With this potato and broccoli soup recipe, we’re using simple ingredients and we’re using as much of the broccoli and the potato as possible.
The Vegetables
For the broccoli, that means we’re including the thicker stem parts as well as the broccoli florets. The stems are so tasty and they really help to flavour the soup.
As for the potato – that’s just going to be scrubbed clean.
No peeling necessary. We’re into this potato and broccoli soup recipe for the nutrients as well as the satisfying flavours.
Our onion will be roughly chopped, ready to go into the pan.
The Stock
And then there’s the liquid part. For this recipe, we’re simply using hot water.
If you want to keep a vegetarian or vegan broccoli soup, use hot water or vegetable stock (vegetable broth).
If you want extra flavour and nutrients, in deepest darkest winter, we like to use homemade chicken stock (chicken broth).
No Dairy
This is a very healthy broccoli soup recipe and you’ve probably noticed the lack of dairy products in it. Don’t worry, you’re still going to get a really delicious soup!
If you want to make it a more indulgent soup, you can add a swirl of olive oil on serving.
And if you’re a fan of broccoli soup and cheese (we’re not), you can sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese into the soup just before you serve it, or use a sharp Cheddar cheese.
Serving Up Your Easy Broccoli Soup
And, as with all soups in Turkey – and other Turkish recipes for that matter – this potato and broccoli soup just would not be the same without first taking a trip to the local bakery and buying some fresh crusty bread.
Tear off a chunk to eat with your soup. And all the better if your bread is still warm, fresh from the oven!
Alternative Serving Suggestion For Potato & Broccoli Soup
We have a friend who loves broccoli but who has a thing about green soup. She can’t eat it.
If you know someone like this or if you just want to add a bit of warmth of colour, swap your regular potato for an orange sweet potato and also add a good pinch of turmeric to your soup.
We also topped this one with some small, fried halloumi croutons for a contrast of texture.
If you usually use bread for your homemade croutons, give the halloumi a go. Lovely!
How To Make Potato & Broccoli Soup
Here’s our full recipe for one of the great soups.
Potato & Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli approx 500g, florets separated from stem & stem roughly chopped
- 1 large potato scrubbed & chopped into cubes
- 1 medium onion peeled & roughly chopped
- 1 dessert spoonful olive oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- salt & pepper to season
Instructions
- Firstly, boil the kettle.
- Meanwhile, in a deep saucepan, gently heat your olive oil and add the onion.
- Stir the onion until it starts to sweat and then add the potato.
- Stir around and then add your chopped broccoli stems.
- Now add your paprika, chilli and seasoning and stir into the vegetables.
- Turn the heat to high and pour enough boiling water into the pan to cover your vegetables.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for around 15 minutes until your broccoli stems soften.
- Now chop your broccoli florets into bite-sized chunks and add to the pan.
- Add more water to just cover the florets and return the lid to the pan.
- Simmer for another 10-15 mins until your florets have softened.
- Now remove your pan from the heat and blend.
- Add more water to get your potato and broccoli soup to the desired consistency.
- Serve your potato and broccoli soup with a wedge of fresh crusty bread.
Notes
- As with all of our recipes, the calories per serving of potato and broccoli soup are meant as a rough guide. The number will vary depending on the size of your vegetables.
- We serve our potato and broccoli soup with a drizzle of olive oil.
- For more flavour, you could also stir in some Parmesan cheese just before serving.
Broccoli Soup – FAQs
Just about any vegetable soup is going to be good for you and broccoli soup is no different.
Broccoli is fantastically good for you and our recipe is perfect for those of you who are looking for a vegan option as there isn’t any double cream (heavy cream) in sight.
You can still get a thick and creamy broccoli soup without using heavy whipping cream.
Our recipe uses potato to give the soup a thicker, creamier texture.
Use starchy, floury, non waxy potatoes such as russet potato or Maris Piper.
When you make soups from green vegetables, they can lose their vibrant green colour and the soup can become an insipid brown-grey colour.
One of the reasons for this is because your broccoli is overcooked.
To keep your soup as green as possible, our recipe first of all asks you to add the broccoli stalks along with the potato.
Keep the florets to one side and you only need to add these a few minutes before the end of cooking.
If you are using frozen rather than fresh broccoli, you might only have the florets to deal with, anyway.
We are influenced by how many Turkish soups are served.
As well as warm crusty bread, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of pul biber (hot red pepper flakes) over the top is so tasty.
A drizzle of olive oil is also really tasty.
If you’re serving your broccoli soup as a main dish, we love to keep the soup quite thick and add some halloumi cheese croutons on top. Real comfort food!
Alternatively, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese just before the end of cooking adds some extra flavour.
If you have leftover soup or you have made a big batch so that you can divide it into small batches to enjoy as a quick meal on busy weeknights, the best way to store leftovers is in the fridge or freezer.
Because there is potato in our soup, we would only recommend keeping the soup in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Let it cool completely (to room temperature), first.
You can also freeze your soup for up to three months. Again, allow hot liquids to cool completely before freezing.
Add your soup to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for next time.
Afiyet Olsun!
Brian Dalby
Wednesday 6th of January 2021
Made it for the second time last week in the UK as a reminder of Turkey. Even better than the first time although without the Turkish bread we substituted croutons. That is going to be a regular meal in our kitchen.
Turkey's For Life
Thursday 14th of January 2021
Hi Brian, thanks a lot for your comment. Turkish bread is difficult to substitute, isn't it. The croutons are a good idea! :) Glad the potato and broccoli soup was a winner. :)
Judy Neal
Tuesday 7th of January 2020
Looks good, but why does almost every recipe require chilli these days? We hate the stuff! By all means put chilli flakes on the table so those who wish may add it, but leave it out of the actual cooking, please.
Turkey's For Life
Wednesday 8th of January 2020
Hi Judy, we are a personal blog and we love to add chilli to lots of our food as we like spicy food. The recipes we share are our own personal takes on dishes that we eat often at home - and we add chilli to our potato and broccoli soup during the cooking. When you add chilli flakes during the cooking, it releases the oils and they infuse. It's a different flavour to sprinkling chilli flakes over the top of your soup on serving. We do that in addition. If you don't like chilli it's fine to leave it out. :)
Rachel Page
Thursday 26th of February 2015
You’re a lifesaver. I was just pondering how I should include potatoes in my day, and this comes up. Thank you!
Angela EL
Thursday 29th of January 2015
I always add some coconut milk to this sort of soup - curry powder also works well
Turkey's For Life
Friday 30th of January 2015
Mmm, yes. Always good to play around with soup recipes, Angela. :) Thanks for your comment.
Anonymous
Wednesday 10th of December 2014
Thank you for the recipe. This is my 2nd Turkish style Soup I've tried and it came together nicely. I varied it slightly by adding 2 Scotch (Green) bonnets, milled chipottle, chilli, added spring onions as well as a small onion and added drilled chilli pepper, lastly added homemade beef stock from boiled seasoned beef. I shall be making this soup again sticking to the original recipe. In sweating the vegetables I used sunflower oil. And whilst the vegetables were simmering I added 2 tbs of infused chilli oil. AOAA
Turkey's For Life
Wednesday 10th of December 2014
Ha ha, anything with added chillies and garlic is always good with us. :)