Green tea and broccoli soup

March 23, 2012  •  Category:

 

My mother subscribes to a French magazine, Femme Actuelle, which is always full of recipes. This is where I plucked the idea of making a broccoli soup with some green tea. Why not? Just substitute the chicken broth for the steeped green tea (minus the leaves) and that’s it!


INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

  • 1 1/2 pounds (or so) of fresh or frozen broccoli
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch of cilantro
  • 2 tsp of green tea
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 or up to 4 cloves of garlic
  • olive oil, as needed
  • salt, white pepper, to taste
METHOD:
  1. Boil the water and steep the tea in it for a few minutes. Strain and reserve. Heat some oil in a large pot and add the onion and stir-fry for a few minutes until translucent and golden; add the broccoli cut into florets and small chunks and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the strained tea water and cook the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes at a slow simmer until the broccoli is cooked. 
  2. Meanwhile, mash the garlic in a mortar with a dash of salt, chop the cilantro. Heat a touch of olive oil in a small skillet and fry the garlic and cilantro for no more than 5 seconds until the fragrance is released and touches your nostrils. 
  3. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup and add the cilantro/garlic fry right before serving to enhance the flavor of the soup. Serve with small croutons or kaak on the side.
NOTE: You can add a few tablespoons of quinoa or oatmeal halfway through cooking the soup to thicken it.

 

Comments

19 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Caffettiera says:

    This is really unusual, it sounds delicious. Using tea in cooking is probably something underestimated. For some reason French magazines, whenever I buy one, always have a lot of fantastic recipes with lovely pictures – way better than their Italian or British counterpart.

  2. Belinda @zomppa says:

    Why, that’s kinda, sort, brilliant. I’m so doing this recipe!

  3. the indolent cook says:

    Such a unique flavour combination! I imagine it would taste so gentle and lovely.

  4. BurntSynapse says:

    Fabulous presentation of the dish as well. Lighting and table setting is just gorgeous.

  5. Mark Wisecarver says:

    Interesting for sure. I live all day long on Espresso, Tea and Tea-sans but don’t use them in cooking, well except for some of the many Chi items like clove, anise, roses, etc.

  6. Mac says:

    ….I must try it! Does the “tea” broth add astringency and sour somewhat the way saffron does?

    Mac

  7. Tiffany says:

    I’ve used this technique with couscous, but not in soup. I’m sure the tea lends a uniquely aromatic touch to the soup. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Angie@Angiesrecipes says:

    An unique combo…would love to try the broccoli soup with green tea.

  9. Susan says:

    The green tea must add a nice, bright taste to the soup! I would probably skip the cilantro since I’m not a big fan of it in large doses.

  10. bananawonder says:

    Hah! What a great idea. This sounds perfect for a detox lunch 🙂

  11. Jamie says:

    Maybe I need to start buying Femme Actuelle more often. They do have great recipes. This broccoli soup is really intriguing with the green tea! How did it taste?

  12. Yolanda says:

    What an amazing, effortless idea. I will try it as well as soon as I lay my hands on a head of fresh broccoli. I love you, Joumana. You create wonderful things.

  13. Asmita says:

    What an unique and interesting combination of ingredients. I would love to try this soup out. Looks very comforting and inviting!

  14. Alaiyo Kiasi says:

    Hi Joumana! I’ve missed a few recipes and am here to make up with comments. This soup looks comforting and, of course, lovely. I’m always excited to see your food styling. It’s inspiring and, I think, helps to brand your blog (if that’s part of branding for food bloggers). I’ve always wanted to ask: what camera lens do you use when photographing your food?

    Thanks,
    Alaiyo

  15. Ol says:

    Interesting with this addition of green tea…

    Life and travelling
    Cooking

  16. Louise says:

    I was so intrigued by this soup, that I had to make it myself- so I did. The use of the green tea as stock was particularly novel and worked really well. I modified the technique a bit, the cilantro (coriander) was still the major taste as you say.

    http://soupsoupglorioussoup.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/green-tea-and-broccoli-soup.html

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