Cheesy Broccoli Soup

A delicious, warm soup, ideal for those days when you just want to curl up with a cup of hot soup and a good book.


Ingredients

1 ½ cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup chopped onions
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock
2 cups (500 mL) milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp dry thyme
¼ cup shredded swiss cheese
Salt
Pepper


Method

1. Bring vegetables and stock to boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until vegetables are tender.


2. In a bowl, combine milk, cornstarch, thyme, salt and pepper. Add to the cooked vegetables.


3. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook for a further minute.


4. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until it melts into the soup.


I love that this soup has chunks of veggies here and there, but for the particularly fussy  hater of healthy greens, you could blend the soup to disguise the presence of the broccoli. You could also add celery, carrots and various other veggies to the soup. Croutons also make a nice, crunchy addition.


What are some other variations? If you've tried this recipe, let us know what you think or it!

Lentil Salad

A quick recipe, sans exact measurements, because most of the ingredients are to be added "according to taste". Enjoy!

Ingredients

Canned lentils, drained and rinsed (or freshly cooked lentils, if you'd prefer)
Red onion, finely chopped (to about the size of the lentils)
Very finely chopped red capsicum
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
A small-medium pinch of ground cumin
A whole heap of roughly chopped coriander

Method

Literally, all there is to do, is toss it all together.

Roast pumpkin makes a great addition to this recipe. Basically any pulse would make a fine replacement for the lentils.