Pureed Broccoli Soup
In this easy recipe, broccoli cooks together with onions, celery, garlic and fresh herbs and is then puréed into a delicious creamy soup. Try this healthy broccoli soup alongside grilled cheese sandwiches or as a starter for a simple dinner.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Nutrition Profile:
How to Make Broccoli Soup
Making broccoli soup is easy and once you've got the formula down, you can turn virtually any veggie into a creamy soup. Here's how to get started:
Build the Flavor
We build the flavor by sautéing chopped onion, celery and garlic in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Together, these veggies add savory and sweet flavors that combine with the broccoli without overpowering it. Using butter adds richness and by combining it with olive oil, we get the creamy, nutty flavor of butter with less saturated fat. Thyme or parsley is added next for some herby notes. Which one you choose depends on your taste. Parsley is the milder of the two and adds a fresh, grassy flavor while thyme is more fragrant and woodsy. Both blend beautifully with broccoli so you can't go wrong with either (or both)!
Add the Broccoli
Broccoli stems and florets are used in the easy broccoli soup. One medium to large broccoli crown will offer enough broccoli to make 8 cups chopped. Your pieces of florets and stems should all be cut to roughly the same size so they cook evenly. To save time, you can use pre-cut broccoli florets. We don't recommend using frozen broccoli here as the flavor can get watered down. The broccoli cooks in a combination of broth and water. This combination is an easy way to cut down on sodium which is typically high in soups.
Blend the Soup
Once the veggies are nice and soft, its time to blend the soup. It's important not to overfill your blender. Blend the soup in batches if it fills more than two-thirds of the blender. Take out the center piece from the blender top and place a clean kitchen towel over the hole to allow the steam to vent (and prevent burns). Blending the soup well gives it a creamy texture without cream, but if you want a more rich soup, you can add a half cup of half-and-half after it's blended.
Is Pureed Broccoli Soup Vegetarian?
It can be! Chicken broth adds the most savory flavor, but vegetable broth or "no-chicken" broth works well too. If you're opting for a vegetarian soup, chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called "No-Chicken Broth," it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.
Can I Make Pureed Broccoli Soup Ahead?
Yes! This soup is the perfect grab-and-go lunch. Cover and refrigerate the soup for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer
Ingredients
Directions
Nutrition Facts
2 1/2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat
