This cream of broccoli soup is hearty and wholesome. You won't believe that there is no cheese or butter in this soup and yet it's so rich, creamy and delicious. A simple and easy recipe that gets done in less than 30 minutes.
Winter is all about soups in our home. Kids can eat soup every single day and you won't hear them complain. It's also a great way to add veggies in the diet especially the ones they don't usually like to eat.
Lucky for me my kids don't complain much about veggies. They've been around veggie platters since they were kids so it's just another dish on the table and they just dig in. It's always funny when I see my Rhea just pick steamed broccoli or cauliflower and munch away. She's a big veggies champion.
About this soup
Well, you won't get a more heart-healthy broccoli soup than this. If you see my soup recipes they are not loaded with cheese. This is the same, no exceptions.
I use good quality olive oil to saute the veggies, and nice big potato. The job of the potato is to make the soup creamier. How? If you use only broccoli the soup has a grainy texture but the fiber in the potato blends it smooth.
I also use a little cornstarch and the job of the cornstarch is to prevent milk from splitting. Of course, cornstarch works as a thicking agent so you don't need any cream in this soup to make it creamier. So you see, every ingredient in this soup has a role to play.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Broccoli - I've used one head of broccoli about a pound which works great for our family of four but you can certainly double the recipe.
- Potato – I prefer potato instead of flour as my thickening agent in this soup. I notice that potato helps the sweet peas blend to a more smooth consistency giving the sweet potato skin some fiber to blend well.
- Thyme - I like using thyme - a little goes a long way and does not affect the color of the soup as well
- Milk - Cauliflower is high in fiber so you don't really need any heavy cream in this soup. I like using full-fat milk.
- Cornstarch - the purpose of the cornstarch here is to prevent the milk from splitting. Of course, it also works as a thickener which is why the cream is really not necessary in this soup.
- Parmesan – adds a slightly nutty flavor to the soup. The first time I used it was by mistake and everybody complimented the soup I had to do it again. Now, it's a must-have ingredient.
Step by step instructions (Save/Pin)
- Chop the broccoli, potatoes, and onions small so they cook fast.
- Saute onions in oil for a minute until translucent
- Then add the garlic and bay leave - saute - 30 seconds more
- Add the chopped broccoli and potatoes - saute 2 minutes
- Then add the thyme and stock.
- Season with salt and pepper (under-season if using ready-made carton stock)
- Cover and cook on medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture to a smooth puree
- Combine the milk and cornstarch well then add it to the soup
- Followed by the Parmesan - combine well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning -
- Serve with toasted bread or croutons
10 Tips for making perfect healthier soups
- Choose the right vegetables and pair them appropriately. This is important when making combining two or more veggies together.
- Know the cooking time of these vegetables. Add the longer cooking vegetables to the pot first or some will be mush while the others will be grainy.
- When possible opt for roasting the vegetables. Roasting veggies caramelizes the sugars and brings out the natural sweetness in the vegetables.
- If possible make your own homemade stock. This makes a huge difference to homemade soups.
- If you use ready to use store-bought stock make sure to under season your vegetables as commercial stocks have tons of salt added to it.
- You don't always need butter or cream for every soup. Vegetables with high fiber like potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, become very creamy when cooked and pulsed. Which means you can eat them more often if you make them healthier. Right?
- Often a tab of butter or cream on the top adds that touch of flavor you need in a soup. So add just that ½ tsp of butter or 1 tbsp of cream on the top as garnish.
- Yogurt and milk are a great alternative to full-fat cream. Having said that both milk and yogurt can split when added to soups. So add them warm and at the last minute. Then, turn the heat off. OR
- A teaspoon of cornstarch in ever cup of milk will prevent the milk from splitting.
- While yogurt is a great low-fat addition to soups, it can add a bit of tang which may or may not work with all vegetables.
Frequently asked questions
The delicious cream of broccoli soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Always thaw in the fridge overnight for the best results.
Absolutely, you can replace the milk with full-fat whipping cream if you want a more rich, creamy soup.
Yes, you can. The potato, however, combines with the grainy texture of the broccoli and helps make the soup creamier
Absolutely, just replace the butter with oil and milk with coconut or almond milk. But do take note that whatever you use will add flavor to the soup as well.
Yes, if you use vegan approved butter and replace the dairy with coconut or almond milk this would definitely be a vegan approved soup.
Absolutely, if you want to make a cheesy broccoli soup just add ½ cup Cheddar or Emantle cheese to the soup at the end.
We love a side of salad and bread with our soup.
Try my tomato mozzarella salad, cabbage salad, cranberry celery salad or carrot salad.
Try some Whole Wheat Raisin Walnut Bread, Roasted Garlic Parmesan Bread Rolls, Olive Sun-Dried Tomato Dinner Rolls
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Description
Ingredients
- 6 cups (6 cups) Broccoli florets chopped
- 1 cup (1 cup) Potato
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Olive oil
- ½ cup (½ cup) Onions chopped
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Garlic sliced
- 2 (2 ) Bay leave
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) Thyme fresh
- 1 cup (250 ml) Stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) Milk
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli, potatoes, and onions small so they cook fast.
- Saute onions in oil for a minute until translucent
- Then add the garlic and bay leave – saute – 30 seconds more
- Add the chopped broccoli and potatoes – saute 2 minutes
- Then add the thyme and stock.
- Season with salt and pepper (under-season if using ready-made carton stock)
- Cover and cook on medium-low for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture to a smooth puree
- Combine the milk and cornstarch well then add it to the soup
- Followed by the Parmesan – combine well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning and consistency - add water if necessary
- Serve with toasted bread or croutons
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
