Ingredients
1 medium broccoli, cut into small florets
10-12 cloves of garlic, halved horizontally
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 medium potato, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups of vegetable stock
salt to taste
black pepper powder to taste
1 cup milk or 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 small red bell pepper finely chopped
Method
1. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a pan, add garlic and saute till the garlic is burnt. Add onion and bay leaf and continue to saute for a minute.
2. Add potato, vegetable stock, salt and pepper powder. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover and cook till the potatoes are done. Remove the bay leaf and add broccoli florets. Stir and bring it to a boil again. Simmer for two minutes.
3. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture to a smooth puree. Alternatively you can take it off the heat and blend in a blender till smooth. Add milk and bring it to a boil.
4. Heat remaining olive oil in another pan, add red capsicum and saute for a minute.
5. Serve the soup piping hot in individual soup bowls, garnished with the red capsicum.
Note: To prepare vegetable stock, in a pan add chopped carrot, celery, onion, tomato, cabbage and bay leaf along with water. Boil it for fifteen minutes and strain the liquid and use as vegetable stock.
