Saturday, January 17, 2009

Soups On!

There's only one of me & that means less time in the kitchen. I actually only cook 1-2 times per week these days--this time of year I make a soup and a main dish all in one quick snap and then supplement the two with fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the week. Today I made a quick broccoli soup--a recipe from a cooking class I took at BYU. Our instructor developed a thickener that does not require fat to bind itself. I swear by the stuff! If you haven't ever tried using UltraGel in your cooking, you're missing out on a product that makes things quicker and healthier. I always purchase mine at Macey's here in Provo. I'm not certain how readily available it is elsewhere, but if you can't find it, drop me a line & I'll ship it to you. Visit the UltraGel site for more recipes, but this easy broccoli soup is one of my winter favorites.

2 c water
2 tsp chicken base
1/4 c chopped onion
1 c chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)*
1 c milk
1/4 c Ultra Gel
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

Combine water and chicken base in a medium saucepan. Add onion and broccoli and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). Add milk, then thicken with Ultra Gel, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Add grated cheese and simmer until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield 4 cups.

*Other vegetables (or a combination of several) may be substituted for broccoli. I love to add cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, etc. It's wonderful garnished with a bit of crispy bacon or even parmesean crisps. . .mmmm.

4 comments:

Patti said...

I imagine if your Provo Macey's has Ultra Gel then my West Jordan Macey's would have it too. I want to try it in a blueberry pie, since mine are always runny!
I've been freezing all day- your soup sounds like the perfect thing to warm me up.

Nurse Heidi said...

That's fascinating sounding stuff - I've never heard of it before! The closest Macey's to me is the West Jordan one as well, though it's a bit off the beaten path for me. Patti, let me know if you find it there.

Tammi said...

I can't wait to try this soup but I've been to my local store and they don't have any ultra gel. I'm going to try another store today and if I can't find it I'll order some from the website. Is it sold in the baking isle? That's where I've been looking.
Thanks!!

Nurse Heidi said...

Tammi, I'll check the Macey's near me, and if I can find it, I'll ship you some. I'm quite intrigued myself. The website had a list of retailers - I didn't look for ones in Texas, though, and Utah didn't have any listed even though Michelle says she got hers locally. Hmmm.