Creamy Vegetable Soup
By: Noelle Twiggs
Published: January 10, 2012

I love thick and creamy vegetable soups. But, I don’t always love the calories. So, this week I decided to substitute heavy cream with a smooth cauliflower purée instead. If you are looking for a healthy lunch or dinner meal, give this simple soup a try.  
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Serves 6 (~200 calories per serving)
Ingredients
	1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, sliced into thin ribbons
	1 head of cauliflower, core removed, cut into florets
	2 tablespoons organic butter
	1 medium sweet potato, peeled, roughly chopped
	1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
	2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
	1/2 small yellow onion, peeled, diced
	2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
	1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
	2 quarts vegetable broth
	1/4 cup water
	sea salt and pepper
	toasty bread, optional (I recommend a whole wheat or sprouted grain bread)
	freshly grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese, optional
Better-for-you ingredients
Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Swiss chard – Swiss chard, thanks to their dark green color, are uber-rich in chlorophyll, a natural detox agent.
Cauliflower – Cleansing beauties embrace cauliflower for its high sulfur and anitoxidant content which is believed to help boost your body’s detoxification work.

Directions
Steam cauliflower florets until just tender. Place cauliflower in a blender with 1/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of butter and blend until well combined. Season generously with sea salt and pepper. Blend again. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft.
Add sea salt, pepper, thyme, sweet potatoes and broth to the pot. Cover pot and bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 25 to 30 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. When potatoes are fork tender, add broccoli, cauliflower purée and remaining chard and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
I love this soup with a dash of freshly grated cheese and slice of toasty bread. Enjoy!
Learn more
For more healthy, low calorie recipes visit GreenLemonade.com.

Comments:
Ellen
February 24, 2012

Made this tonight, and it is absolutely fab. Since cauliflower replaced what would normally be potatoes and cream and butter, I felt justified in having 7,000 bowls at one sitting. :-)