Last night I made steamed broccoli as a side dish to the main course.  When I steam vegetables I strive for an even texture throughout the pieces.  This is a challenge when it concerns broccoli because although the florets are fluffy and not very dense the stems are dense and thick.  One solution to the problem is to cut the dense pieces into smaller sizes that will soften at the same rate as the florets.  Another solution is to not include the thick stems at all. 

I chose the latter option, but that didn’t mean I was going to waste perfectly good broccoli. 

I rummaged around the kitchen and searched for vegetables that were on their way out.  Wilted vegetables might lose their visual appeal but they still retain their nutritional value.  I found some green onions that were wilted and a few potatoes that were smaller than the rest. 

I rough cut the vegetables and tossed them into a pot.

I added 2 cups of chicken stock and simmered at low heat, covered, for one hour.

Once the vegetables had sufficiently softened, I poured everything into a blender and pulsed to puree.

I strained out the remaining little pieces of potato skins and was rewarded with a creamy, hearty soup.

Anything can be added to the soup at this point.  Maybe some leftover sausage scraps or some lunch meat that has been relegated to the back of the meat drawer. 

I chose to chop another wilted green onion for the topping and then added some dried Parmesan cheese.  After a few twists from the pepper grinder, the soup was ready to eat.