Created by: Spark Nutrition Communications for Canadian Agriculture Day

Looking for a tasty and healthy make-anytime soup that’s super-quick to prepare from scratch? This easy and nutritious meal is chock full of hearty Canadian-grown produce. And buying flavourful, in-season (or frozen off-season) ingredients grown in Canada means it’s not only sustainable and nourishing, but also supporting our local farmers—yes!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 big bunch broccoli, washed and cut into “trees” (or 1 500-gram bag of frozen)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed (or 1 300-gram bag of frozen)
1 package (300 g) silken (soft) tofu
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch hot pepper flakes
2 tsp lemon juice

Optional topping

Grated cheddar cheese

Directions

To large pot over medium heat, add canola oil, onion and carrot. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until vegetables are slightly softened. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add broccoli and broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until broccoli is slightly soft.

Add spinach, tofu, thyme, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes; stir until spinach has fully wilted.

Remove pot from heat. Purée soup with immersion blender directly in pot or in small batches in blender.

Add soup back to pot. Stir in lemon juice. Add more broth if a thinner consistency is desired. Reheat soup until warmed through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with cheese to taste.