Soup Recipes
Broccoli Soup
6 servings
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. Read More
Soup Recipes
Gluten-free
Before You Start
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
My Easy and Creamy Broccoli Soup
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.
Building Flavor by Sautéing Vegetables
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.
Using the Entire Broccoli, Stem and All
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.
Why I Use Potatoes in My 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.
The 40-Minute Simmer
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.
Getting that Perfect Creamy Texture
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 Finishing Phase: Cream and Garlic
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.
A Note on Salt and Your Broth
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!
Serving Your Broccoli Soup
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.
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
Click any ingredient to learn moreSoup:
2 TBSP of frying oil (any kind) (adjust if needed)
1 onion - peeled and chopped (large onion)
3 potatoes of your choice - peeled and roughly chopped (medium sized potatoes)
1 broccoli - with the stem and cut into large pieces
6 cups of chicken broth/stock (or vegetable broth)
1 cup of heavy cream
3 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)
1 TSP of salt (*)
½ TSP of pepper - ideally freshly ground
Optional final touch:
6 TBSP of sour cream
*This recipe assumes that you are working with a sodium free broth (a broth with no salt added). If you are working with a broth which includes sodium, adjust the amount of salt based on your preference.
Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 6 servings)
EstimatedCalories 368
Protein 9.7 g
Fat 24.8 g
Saturated fat 11.9 g
Carbohydrate 27.8 g
Sugars 7.0 g
Fiber 2.2 g
Sodium 630 mg
Cholesterol 61 mg
Gluten-free
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.
Directions:
1.Sauté Vegetables:
Let’s start the preparation of Broccoli Soup by sautéing the vegetables.
1.1.
Preheat a medium pot on medium-high heat with 2 TBSP of frying oil and add:
1 large onion – chopped
Sauté with occasional stirring until glossy (about 2 – 4 minutes).
1.2.
Add:
3 medium potatoes – cut into large pieces
1 broccoli – cut into large pieces
Sauté for an additional 2 minutes with constant stirring.
2.Simmering:
2.1.
Add into the pot:
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
Briefly stir and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer (about 195°F) with occasional stirring.
2.2.
Lower the heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes with occasional stirring.
3.Finishing Phase of the Broccoli Soup:
3.1.
Process until smooth with an immersion blender (while still cooking in a pot).
3.2.
Add:
1 cup of heavy cream
3 cloves of garlic – grated
1 TSP of salt
½ TSP of ground pepper
Briefly stir together and cook with occasional stirring for an additional 5 minutes (now without the lid).
3.3.
Optionally, add water or broth if the liquid evaporates more than it should and then cook for an additional 3 minutes.
3.4.
Optionally, add water or broth if the liquid evaporates more than it should and then cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4.Serve Broccoli Soup:
4.1.
Serve with croutons or bread of any kind.
4.2.
Optionally serve also with a touch of thick sour cream.
Popular questions
What if I don't have an immersion blender for this Broccoli Soup?
If you don't have an immersion blender, that's perfectly fine! You can still make this creamy broccoli soup. After simmering the vegetables for 40 minutes, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular food processor or a standard blender. Just be very cautious, as hot liquids can expand when blended. I recommend filling your blender only about halfway, holding the lid down firmly with a kitchen towel, and blending until smooth. Pour the blended portion into a separate large bowl and repeat until all the soup is blended. Once it's all smooth, return the entire batch of soup to the pot for the finishing phase with the heavy cream and garlic.
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