Broccoli Soup with a side of Garlic Shrimp and Couscous

I was absolutely loving my healthy eating.. and I was so inspired by the recipe on Bon Appetit earlier I searched for some more healthy meals. I came across a broccoli soup with no cheese. This sounded genius to me. My mouth watered at my desk imagining what creamy delightful stew I was going to be throwing through my food processor.

Later, I thought about what the soup was asking for: broccoli, broth, leeks. Dave isn't going to be satiated! What to do? I blindly went to the store and tapped my brain for food that would compliment this creation. I pulled pearl couscous off the shelf and went home and marinated some frozen shrimp in the fridge for an hour with a little oil, garlic powder, S&P. Sauteed it with butter and wha-la. The couscous was garlic flavored and the shrimp, well, I could have eaten about 20 more.

Now for the soup:

Shopping List:

• 1.25 pounds of broccoli (about 4 stalks)
• 3 leeks
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tblspn of bouillon
• S&P

Putting it Together:

1. Peel the stalks and chop up your broccoli
2. In a big pot saute your thinly sliced leeks in a light amount of olive oil, until right before they turn brown. Remove and reserve.

3. Add the broth, broccoli, and S&P.
4. Cook for 8 minutes until fork tender

5. Blend.
6. Add back to the pot, add the reserved leeks, shave a little Parmesan on top.
7. Feast!

Notes:

- This wasn't AS exciting as I hoped, but the light parm on top added a nice flavor and it was a healthy yummy  packed bite of soup.

- I was hoping the broccoli would be more in tact, it was VERY pureed. Next time I more finely chop the broccoli (chopping broccoli, chopping broccoli!) and pulse it only 2-3 times.

- The left overs were surprisingly useful as a base for a pasta dish. I was feeling lazy, and I admit, cranky. I did not want to cook. My pajamas put me in a better mood. I used what was around the house to make a pasta thing, it was onion, frozen corn, frozen peas, pasta, some left over olives, chickpeas, sriracha, and the broccoli soup!! The broccoli soup acted like a light pesto that kicked this meal from boring to super. Talk about a mood changer.

- Link to original broccoli soup recipe.