Broccoli Soup

This recipe was created for my bariatric patients as a dish during their post-op liquid phase. When a fellow RD in the office made it and raved about the finished product I thought I would share it with everyone!

1 large onion (sweet Vidalia would be great)
1 medium carrot (and/or a turnip - looks like a white carrot but really sweet!)
1 medium potato
1 large celery stalk
3 bunches broccoli (or 2# fresh/frozen broccoli florets)
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cups non-fat milk
28 oz 99% fat free chicken broth/stock or vegetable broth/stock
salt and pepper

1. Dice up onion, carrot, and celery.
2. In sauce pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add diced vegetables and bay leaf. Let sweat for 10 minutes or until vegetables are translucent.
3. If broccoli heads were purchased, remove main stem from the top. Leave stem whole and put in pot with sweating vegetables. Chop up florets.
4. Peel, then dice potato into 1" cubes. When vegetables in pot are soft (not including the broccoli stems) add potato, chopped florets and broth. Cook about 20 minutes, until potatoes are falling apart.
5. Remove bay leave and broccoli stems.
6. Stir in milk.
7. Use an immersion blender (hand) or stand up blender to puree soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with a loaf of crusty bread immediately or freeze in 1 cup portions for an easy lunch later!