Prepare Today Homemade - Cream of Broccoli Soup

I have felt really bored with my family's menu lately and so I have been going through some cookbooks trying to find some new ideas.  One of the books that I am trying to use more often is called "The Everyday Gourmet" by Shari Haag.  She uses all shelf-stable items to create gourmet meals.  These aren't your typical beans, wheat, and rice meals.  I decided to try Cream of Broccoli Soup and it turned out thick, creamy, and perfect for a cold winter day.

 This picture doesn't do this soup justice.  It really was a little more green from the broccoli, but either way it was really good.

This soup requires a cream sauce mix and I didn't have any on hand and it donned on me that I had the dry ingredients to make a mix.  I tell ya, I really am very literal and thought I needed to buy a white sauce mix. So when I googled white sauce mix I realized I had everything to make it :)  See I am still learning everyday :)  I shared the recipe on Saturday, click HERE to get the recipe.  

 The recipe calls for dehydrated broccoli but I used the Honeyville Freeze Dried broccoli and it worked great!!  It costs around $15 for a #10 can but they do have case lot sales and that is where I got it for about $13.  It looks, tastes, and cooks just like real broccoli!!!


Cream of Broccoli Soup 
From "The Everyday Gourmet" by Shari Haag
2 C dried or freeze dried chopped broccoli
2 t dried diced carrots
1 T dried onions
2 t dried mixed peppers
2 T all-purpose flour
6 C water
1 1/2 C white cream sauce mix
1 bay leaf
1 t dried parsley
1 t ground thyme
6 whole pepper corns (I didn't have these and I just used regular black pepper)
dash nutmeg
3 eggs (3 T egg powder + 6 T water)
1 C thick milk (1 C water + 1/8 C powdered milk)  I don't really know why this is called thick milk because it is really a smaller ratio than making milk from the cannery from powdered milk, which is 1 C milk + 3 T powder.  I just added it as called for in the recipe and it turned out.  

In a medium saucepan, add the broccoli, carrot, onion, peppers in a touch of oil. (Watch it carefully, mine burned)  Heat on low and saute for 1 min.  Sprinkle with flour and stir.  Add the water and white sauce powder.  Stir well.  Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and pepper corns.  Using a whisk, stir until all ingredients are well mixed .  Cook 30-40 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Using a stick blender, puree the soup.  (pour in batches in a blender if you don't have a stick blender).  Then add the nutmeg, eggs, and thick milk.  Stir and serve.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serves 4-6.

Serve with some warm, crusty artisan bread for a delicious, gourmet meal!!