Healthy Halloween Recipe for Kids: Green Zombie (aka Broccoli) Soup
| October 16, 2014 | Posted by Stacy under Parties, Quick weeknight dinner, Recipe, School parties |
Sometimes it’s all in a name. I cooked up a batch of broccoli soup last weekend. But before serving it, I thought better of mentioning any cruciferous veggie. And so it became Green Zombie Soup.
My 6-year-old twins devoured their bowls and asked for more. Their 8-year-old brother took a couple sips and was done. That, in my opinion, is a great success.
Would it work for a school Halloween party? After crowd sourcing on my Facebook page, I’m still on the fence. The advice of my FB friends: Add a little pureed spinach to make it more green, place in a cauldron (not sure where I’d get one but perhaps my slow cooker could be dressed up to look like one?) and serve as soup shooters. In any case, I’ll definitely be making this Green Zombie Soup again.
GREEN ZOMBIE (AKA BROCCOLI) SOUP
Serves 8–10 (in small bowls or cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large russet potato, scrubbed, peeled and chopped
6 to 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2.5 to 3 cups of broccoli florets (from about 1 large head of broccoli)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
1 cup whole milk (optional)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (and other herbs/spices to taste…I like to use a little thyme)
In a large pot, heat oil and saute onion until translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; stir if up for a minute then add stock. It’s always nice to use your own stock but this takes some added effort. Add less stock for a thicker soup. You can always add more later, if desired.
Bring to a boil then add potato and simmer for about 20 minutes until they are cooked through. Meanwhile, in another pot, steam broccoli until tender but still bright green (about 3 or 4 minutes)–test with a fork and be sure not to overcook. Use some peeled stem, too, as it will add great texture to the soup in the end. Another sneaky little trick is to add about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to broccoli to help keep it green. Strain broccoli and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, then set aside.
Once potatoes are cooked, turn off the burner and let the soup sit for a bit. Once it’s cooled, bust out your blender. Fill blender halfway with the liquid and add about half the broccoli. Puree until the soup has no chunks. (Be sure to cover the top of the blender with a dishtowel and hold down the top, especially if the soup is still hot; otherwise, it is apt to explode all over your kitchen and make a huge mess.).
Pour into a reserved pot and repeat with the rest. Add more stock if you need or want to. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper and seasonings, if desired. To enhance the green color, add pureed spinach. Serve with bat-shaped homemade croutons (cut bread with a mini bat-shaped cookie cutter, brush with olive oil and toast) or crostini for dipping. Top with crumbled bacon to make it truly bewitching.
Recipe adapted from Focus Sun Valley magazine.
Do you ever use fun names to get your kids to try new foods? Examples, please! Leave ‘em down below in the comments.
I created this blog to raise awareness and start a dialogue about the various issues involved in school food. By writing about it, I hope to provide parents and educators with ideas and inspiration for making healthy changes in their own schools. Since healthy eating habits start at home, I also address common feeding challenges faced by parents.
Hungry for more School Bites?
Click here to follow me on Twitter, Like my Facebook page, see my Pinterest boards, or send me an email