Broccoli Soup with Toasted Corn Crutons

No matter how hard I try, I can't get pretty soup pictures. I try to clean the edges of the bowl but my imperfections always come out in soup pictures. Also, because the soup is still hot off the stove when I sprinkle the parmesan, it instantly melts into the soup. One day I hope to have lovely soup pictures. Until then, you are just going to have to trust me that this soup is really tasty and comforting. With some crunchy bread, this soup hits the spot. I don't have an immersion blender so I have to process it in a food processor in two separate batches, so I understand why purchasing an immersion blender would save a ton of cleaning. That may have just sounded like an advertisement, but until this evening I truly believed I was better off without an immersion blender. If my cold weather = hot soup kick continues, I think I will get an immersion blender and perhaps then I will have pretty soup pictures! I found this simple recipe on Inspired2Cook and decided to change it up and see/taste what happens. I'm quite excited that I have a left over tub of this in my refrigerator for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 servings)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 pinches dried chili flakes

2 pinches oregano

1 pinch ground pepper

4 cups water

3 teaspoons low sodium vegetable bullion

1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1/2 cup white corn kernels

Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the sweet potatoes, chili flakes, oregano, pepper and water and bring to a boil. Add in the bullion to dissolve.

2. Adjust the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the sweet potato is tender to a fork, 8-10 minutes. Add the broccoli and simmer for 3 minutes.

3. In batches, puree the soup in a blender or processor. Put the soup back into the pot and return to a medium low heat.

4. Bring oven to broil setting. Drizzle olive oil on a pan, place corn kernels on pan and sprinkle with pepper. Broil the corn for 4 minutes, or until toasted and crunchy.

5. Sprinkle the parmesan and corn on the soup and enjoy!