This Broccoli Soup is a wonderfully easy and fabulous recipe that even broccoli skeptics will love. I've found it's a real crowd-pleaser! My homemade soup combines broccoli and potato into a creamy broccoli soup that is both simple and delicious, making it one of my favorite easy broccoli soup recipes to share.
Tom the Chef Founder
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
I’m so excited to share my favorite Broccoli Soup recipe with you! This Broccoli Soup is remarkably easy to make and tastes fabulous, managing to win over even those who aren’t usually fans of broccoli. I haven’t encountered anyone yet who hasn’t enjoyed this creamy, homemade soup. It’s a simple and comforting broccoli and potato soup that I love making. Using an immersion blender makes it wonderfully smooth, and the heavy cream adds the perfect rich finish.
The very first step in my Broccoli Soup recipe is to sauté the onion, and this is crucial for building a deep flavor base. I start by heating the frying oil in my large pot over medium-high heat and cooking the chopped large onion until it’s glossy. This isn’t about browning, but about sweating the onion to release its sugars. Then, I add the chopped potatoes and the broccoli pieces, sautéing them for just a couple more minutes with constant stirring. This quick sauté of the main vegetables, especially the broccoli and potato, toasts them just a bit and adds a layer of flavor that you wouldn’t get if you just boiled them in the broth. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference in the final taste of this homemade soup.
When my Broccoli Soup recipe calls for one broccoli, I mean the whole thing! Please don’t throw away the stem, as it’s packed with flavor and has a wonderful texture when cooked and blended. I just ask you to cut the broccoli, including the stem, into large pieces. Since we’ll be simmering everything for 40 minutes and then blending it all with an immersion blender, there’s no need to chop it finely. Using the stem is my secret to a full-bodied broccoli and potato soup that doesn’t waste any part of this fantastic vegetable. It’s an essential part of achieving that perfect, creamy broccoli soup.
You’ll notice my recipe includes three medium-sized potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped. The potatoes are another key to this recipe. They aren’t just a filler; they are the primary thickening agent for this homemade soup. As the potatoes simmer in the chicken broth, their starches break down. When we get to the blending step, these cooked potatoes are what help create that wonderfully thick and creamy texture without having to add a lot of flour or cornstarch. This is how I get such a satisfying, creamy broccoli soup with a very natural and hearty feel. It’s the perfect base for the broccoli flavor to shine through.
After adding the six cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if you prefer) to the sautéed vegetables, I bring it to a simmer, lower the heat, and let it cook for 40 minutes. This simmering soup stage is all about patience. This cooking time is essential for two reasons. First, it ensures the potatoes and the thick broccoli stems become perfectly tender, which is necessary for a smooth blend. Second, it allows all the flavors from the onion, broccoli, potato, and broth to meld together beautifully. This slow simmering process develops the soul of the Broccoli Soup, so don’t be tempted to rush it. Just give it an occasional stir and let the magic happen.
My favorite tool for this recipe is, without a doubt, the immersion blender. After the 40-minute simmer, I use it to process the soup until it’s perfectly smooth, right in the pot! This is the easiest way to get that signature creamy broccoli soup texture. It’s quick, efficient, and saves on washing up. If you don’t have one, you can, of course, transfer the soup to a regular blender, but please be very careful with the hot liquid. Using an immersion blender just makes this easy broccoli soup even easier, allowing you to blend everything safely and effectively until it’s velvety smooth.
The final five minutes of cooking are what I call the “Finishing Phase” of the Broccoli Soup. After the soup is blended, I stir in the one cup of heavy cream, the grated garlic, salt, and pepper. The heavy cream adds a wonderful richness and silky mouthfeel that takes the soup from great to fabulous. I add the grated garlic right at the end, uncooked, so it retains its bright, pungent kick, which cuts through the richness of the cream and broccoli. Cooking it for just five more minutes, without the lid, allows these final ingredients to heat through and melds the flavors without boiling away the fresh garlic taste or curdling the cream.
I want to point out the note in my Broccoli Soup recipe about the salt. The 1 TSP of salt I call for assumes you are using a sodium-free chicken broth or vegetable broth. I prefer to use sodium-free broth because it gives me complete control over the seasoning of my homemade soup. If the broth you’re working with already contains salt, you will definitely want to adjust the amount of salt you add. I would suggest adding just a little bit at first, tasting the soup during the finishing phase, and then adding more salt only if you feel it’s needed. It’s always easier to add more salt than to take it away!
This Broccoli Soup is absolutely delicious on its own, but I love to serve it with a few simple additions. It’s best served with rustic bread or baguettes for dipping into that creamy broccoli soup. Croutons are also a fantastic choice, adding a wonderful crunchy contrast to the smooth soup. For an extra touch of creaminess and a slight tang, I also include an optional final touch: a dollop of thick sour cream on top of each bowl. These simple additions can turn this easy broccoli soup into an even more special meal.
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