A big improvement over the cream of broccoli soup recipe I posted a few weeks ago. The basil butter make this recipe a delicious winner.

This weekend I decided to crack open Low Carb 1-2-3, a cookbook with just 3 ingredients per recipe. I picked it up a few months ago but only really started looking at the recipes on Saturday. I must say I started drooling as I leafed through the pages.

With 2 lbs. of broccoli in my fridge, I planned to make some cream of broccoli soup. But scanning Low Carb 1-2-3, I found a broccoli soup recipe that called for…basil butter!?! That sounded too tasty to pass up.

The soup is fairly simple to make, but you’ll need a food processor to make the basil butter. Trust me, it is worth it.

Oh, while Low Carb 1-2-3 only uses 3 ingredients per recipe, I strongly suggest adding 2 more ingredients for this dish – salt and pepper. It’s needed to boost the flavor. The recipe does call for salt and pepper, but they are not listed on the ingredient list.

With 3 ingredients (not including salt & pepper for taste), it’s a pretty simple soup to make and great for any cold night.

Broccoli Soup with Basil Butter
Net Carbs: 2.56
Weight Watcher Points: 3
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. Broccoli with stalks
• 1 large bunch fresh basil
• 4 tbsp. cold butter
• salt (optional)
• black pepper (optional)

Directions

• Using veggie peeler, peel the broccoli stalks, removing the tough exterior. Cut off and toss out the woody bottom of the stalks. Cut stalks and florets into ½” pieces and transfer to medium pot.
• Remove the smallest basil leaves and reserve for garnish. Add ½ C of tightly packed basil leaves to the broccoli.
• Cover broccoli and basil with 5 cups of water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.
• While broccoli is cooking, place the cold butter and ¼ C of tightly packed basil in a food processor. Process until combined.
• Scoop the butter and basil onto wax paper and roll to form a log about ½” in diameter. Refrigerate until firm.
• Once broccoli is tender, transfer it to a blender with a slotted spoon. Add 2 cups of the cooking water to the blender and reserve the rest. You’ll want to do this in batches! Blend each batch for about 2 minutes. As you blend, add in up to 2 tbsp. of the basil butter in small bits.
• When the mixture is smooth, place it in a pot. If the consistency is too thick, add in the reserved water until you reach the consistency you want.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the mixture gently. Ladle the hot soup into a bowl and place a thin slice of the basil butter on top along with the reserved small basil leaves. Serve immediately.