Mom’s Homemade Delicious Broccoli Soup [Recipe]

During these cold freezing days, there's nothing better than Mom's homemade broccoli soup to make you feel good and warm all over!  My Mom made this for our family and I'd like to share it with you!   

It's not your conventional traditional cheese broccoli soup.  My Mom cut the cheese out (haha). Instead, she used tomatoes for the base of this delicious broccoli soup!  Growing up with an Italian mom, we didn't know any other way to eat broccoli soup than with tomatoes!

Here's a really easy soup recipe that you can make either in a crock pot or on your stove top.  Check out her recipe:

Mom's Delicious Broccoli Soup [Recipe] (Momma Josephine) 

• 1 bouquet of fresh (or bag of frozen) broccoli - use mostly the florets
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 clove fresh garlic - minced.
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup pasta - elbow, penne, or any variety
• 4 cups of water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan cheese

Saute onion and garlic in a pan with a little bit (about 1 Tbsp.) of extra virgin olive oil until tender.  In a soup pan or crock pot, pour entire can of crushed tomatoes and add 4 cups of water.  Meanwhile, chop the broccoli in small bite size pieces using mostly the florets.  I use some of the stems, too. If you don't care to eat the stems, you can leave them out.  I cook the broccoli in a covered bowl in the  microwave for quicker results until desired tenderness.  Add the onion, garlic and cooked broccoli into the pan with the crushed tomatoes and water.

Cook on low for 4 - 6 hours on the stove stirring often. Or, set crock pot on a low setting for 6 - 8 hours.

In a pan, boil pasta until done or desired tenderness.  Add cooked pasta the last 30 minutes into the soup.

Pour into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if desired!  Salt & pepper to taste.

I usually double the recipe to be sure I have leftovers for later!

Health benefits:  Broccoli and tomatoes are both low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

• Broccoli - good source of protein and dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, and more.
• Tomatoes - good source of thiamin, niacin, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, dietary fiber, and more.

*Variation:  Not a fan of broccoli?  Use other veggies to make a hearty vegetable soup!

Buon Appetito!