Click here to view.  Broccoli and Almond Soup recipe.broccoli almond soup recipe | protein rich broccoli almond soup | healthy almond broccoli soup.

broccoli almond soup recipe, broccoli is my favourite, and on top of that I have used almonds to make this soup everyone’s favourite! Mildly flavoured with celery and garlic, it tastes amazing.

Almonds are toasted to bring out its complete flavour and to add crunch to protein rich broccoli almond soup. Besides almonds being a protein-filled nut, it is also considered brain-friendly – hence, you can build your body as well as nourish your brain with this tasty soup.

The method for making broccoli and almond soup is neither complex nor easy yet all the efforts are worth it as it is super tasty. To make broccoli and almond soup, heat 2 cups of water in a deep kadhai, add the broccoli stalks and cook on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, onions, garlic, celery and salt, mix well and cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Onions, garlic and celery work as aromatics and give a unique taste to the broccoli almond soup. Remove from the flame, allow it to cool a little. Once slightly cooled, blend with a hand blender till smooth.Transfer the prepared broccoli mixture into the same kadhai, add the milk, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously. Add the pepper powder, roasted almond slivers, mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 1 minute. Serve the broccoli almond soup hot garnished with almond slivers

Is Broccoli and Almond Soup healthy? 

Yes, this is healthy. But restrictions apply to some.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Broccoli : Broccoli is loaded with beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A once it is inside the body. Vitamin A plays a critical role in maintaining healthy vision. It is a good source of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and fights off cancers, heart disease and protects the body from free radical damage. Broccoli is a good source of folate and good for pregnant women. See here for 13 amazing benefits of broccoli.

2. Almonds (badam) : Almonds are rich in B complex vitamins such as Vitamin B1, Thiamine, Vitamin B3, Niacin and Folate which plays an important role in the brain development. Almonds balances your cholesterol levels. almonds have a very low glycemic index and good for diabetics. See all 13 super health benefits of almonds. 

3. Milk and Low Fat Milk : 1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. The Calcium in Milk helps to protect your teeth against gum disease and keeps your jaw bone strong and healthy. Milk is low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. However diabetics must consider including low fat milk as advised by their dietitian only so as to avoid any fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6 g from a cup. So all those looking to build protein stores can add milk and its products like curd and paneer to their diet. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs.  Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk. 

4. Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin which promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

5. Garlic : Garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol. The active ingredient allicin present in garlic aids in lowering blood pressure. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood glucose levels for diabetics. Garlic is great for the heart and circulatory system. Garlic has an antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal function and can help in relieving common cold and other viral infections. To boost your immune system have a garlic clove a day. Garlic is a top anti viral food. The thiosulphate compound, Allicin found in garlic acts as a strong antioxidant and protects our body from damage of free radicals.  Read here for complete benefits of garlic. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Broccoli and Almond Soup  ?

Yes, this recipe is good for diabetics, heart and weight loss BUT use low fat milk instead of full fat milk.  Broccoli is a good source of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and fights off cancers, heart disease and protects the body from free radical damage. Almonds balances your cholesterol levels. almonds have a very low glycemic index and good for diabetics.

Can healthy individuals have Broccoli and Almond Soup ?

Yes, this is healthy.

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

Broccoli and Almond Soup is high in

1. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 49 calories that come from Broccoli and Almond Soup?

Walking (6 kmph) = 15 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 5 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 7 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 8 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.