Broccoli Apple Soup

Much to my chagrin, Owen will eat exactly three vegetables: corn (only on the cob, thanks), steamed carrots, and broccoli. When he was a baby, I made him all sorts of healthy veggie purees: sweet potato, peas with mint, and zucchini with basil. He loved them! I smugly thought that my diet must have gotten through to him in the womb. He was my little baby foodie. But as he approached toddlerhood, his eating gradually became pickier and pickier. Last week, we actually watched him pick apart a wonton to remove the offensive bits of scallion.

Ugh. When he does stuff like that, I just have to close my eyes and remember that when my brother was his age, he ate nothing but SpaghettiOs and he’s perfectly healthy now and has a very adventurous palate.

One of my mom friends told me that it’s my job to make Owen different foods and his job to try them. So basically, just keep offering new things but don’t make a big deal of it when he won’t eat them. It’s maddening, true, but I keep hoping there is some day on the horizon when he will sit down to dinner (without demanding to watch an episode of Barney!) and devour a plate of Brussels sprouts.

Recently, when I came across a recipe for broccoli apple soup on one of my favorite food sites, I thought “Wow! Broccoli? Apple? I bet Owen will eat that. What’s not to like?” Um, evidently everything. He refused to even try it. Oh well. I think it’s completely delicious, and I’ve been enjoying it all week for lunch. It’s one of those soups that keeps getting better as it sits in the fridge, so feel free to make it a few days in advance.

Broccoli Apple Soup
Makes 4-6 servings
Adapted from Simply Recipes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch broccoli, separated into florets and stems chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup apple cider
2 strips lemon peel
Chopped fresh chives, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and apple and cook until the onion is translucent and the apple is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broccoli, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook until the broccoli begins to darken in color, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock, apple cider, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon peel. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (alternatively, you can puree it in batches in a regular blender). Garnish with chives before serving.