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Broccoli, Potato and Onion Soup

Bowl of broccoli, potato and onion soup with sprouts, lemon and mustard powder

Overview​

A smooth soup of broccoli, potato and onion, with leek, celery and garlic softened in olive oil. The broccoli is chopped and left to stand before a short simmer, so myrosinase can meet glucoraphanin. Once the soup has cooled, mustard seed powder or broccoli sprouts can be stirred in.

Ingredients​

The method names each food. It does not fix a weight or a number of servings.

  • Broccoli, florets and tender stems
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Leek
  • Celery
  • Potato, cubed
  • Garlic, crushed
  • Vegetable stock
  • Lemon juice
  • Black pepper
  • Salt, to taste
  • Mustard seed powder or fresh broccoli sprouts
Eight-step method for broccoli, potato and onion soup, from chopping the broccoli to the mustard or sprout garnish

Method​

  1. Prepare the broccoli
    Wash the broccoli thoroughly. Finely chop the florets and tender stems to rupture the plant cells and bring glucoraphanin into contact with myrosinase.

  2. Blend (optional)
    Pulse the raw broccoli briefly in a food processor to increase tissue disruption. Avoid heating it during processing.

  3. Allow the enzymatic reaction
    Leave the chopped broccoli for approximately 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. This allows myrosinase time to convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. The exact optimal resting period has not been established.

  4. Prepare the soup base
    While the broccoli rests, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, leek, celery and cubed potato. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.

  5. Cook the vegetables
    Add the potato and vegetable stock. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until the potato is tender. Add the rested broccoli and cook for another 4–5 minutes, until just tender. Avoid prolonged cooking to limit losses of heat-sensitive compounds.

  6. Blend until smooth
    Remove from the heat. Carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Add water or stock if needed to adjust the consistency.

  7. Season and finish
    Stir in the lemon juice, black pepper and salt to taste. Allow the soup to cool to a comfortable serving temperature.

  8. Add the myrosinase-rich garnish
    Once the soup has cooled below approximately 50°C, stir in the mustard seed powder or top with fresh broccoli sprouts. This may promote additional conversion of remaining glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. Use sprouts from a reputable supplier and handle them carefully, as raw sprouts carry a food-safety risk.

Nutrition​

Detailed nutrition calculation pending ingredient-weight reconciliation.

The method names each food but does not state an edible weight or a number of servings, so a per-serving table is not calculated.

Brain Health Notes​

  • Chopping the broccoli, and leaving it at room temperature, lets myrosinase meet glucoraphanin before the pot is heated. Sulforaphane is the compound formed by that meeting.
  • The broccoli then cooks for only 4–5 minutes. A long boil leaves glucoraphanin in the pot while the plant enzyme is no longer active.
  • Mustard seed powder or raw broccoli sprouts go in after the soup is below about 50°C, so the added enzyme is not heated through.
  • The finished bowl is ordinary soup. Its sulforaphane depends on this preparation, the broccoli used, and the garnish. See broccoli for the cooked-broccoli comparison that guided the method.

Explore the foods and substances​

Show 7 foods and their substances

Garlic

Allicin, sulfur compounds, and prebiotic fiber for gut and antioxidant support

Substances: Allicin, Manganese

Olive Oil

See extra virgin olive oil for detailed information