The Green Party

Broccoli is available year-round, but young broccoli is more abundant in fall and winter. Combined with potatoes and spinach, broccoli makes for a healthful, nutrient-rich low-fat soup--good for warming up when the weather cools down.

When buying broccoli, look for young broccoli for best flavor. Look for florets that are tightly closed and green. Yellowing means the broccoli is getting old. Older broccoli tends to be woody and emit a strong cabbage odor when cooking.

To cut preparation time, buy cleaned, bagged spinach. And if you keep most of these ingredients on hand, you can whip up the soup when the mood strikes.

Broccoli Spinach Soup

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

1 pound broccoli

1/2 (10-ounce) bag spinach leaves

1 to 2 baking potatoes (about 1 pound)

Nonstick cooking spray

2 large shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup nonfat milk

White pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

* Cut broccoli crowns from stems; cut stems into 1-inch chunks. Rinse spinach leaves and drain on paper towels. Peel potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes and cover with cold water in bowl.

* Coat Dutch oven with cooking spray. Saute shallots over low heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth and water. Add broccoli stems and potatoes and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add broccoli crowns. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir in spinach and cook until leaves are wilted, about 1 minute.

* Remove soup from heat and puree in food processor or blender in batches. Pour back into pot and stir in salt and milk. Warm over medium heat until hot. Add white pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with sprinkle of nutmeg.

6 servings. Each serving: 69 calories; 765 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.18 grams fiber.

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Bowl and napkin from Salutations Home, Pasadena and Brentwood.