Creamy and Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipes: A Comprehensive Guide

Broccoli soup is a comforting and nutritious dish perfect for any time of year. This article explores various approaches to making a delicious and healthy broccoli soup, from vegan options to those incorporating cheese and other flavorful ingredients. Whether you're looking for a quick weeknight meal or a sophisticated starter, you'll find inspiration and guidance here.

Vegan Broccoli Soup: A Dairy-Free Delight

This vegan broccoli soup recipe is super creamy, comforting, and brimming with cheesy flavor, yet surprisingly dairy-free. This recipe is not to be confused with cream of broccoli soup. It's thicker, richer, and more cheese-like.

Key Ingredients

• Broccoli: This recipe uses the entire broccoli, stalk and all. The stalk is blended into the creamy base, while the florets are pulsed in for texture.
• Cashews and Potatoes: This combination creates a gooey, cheesy texture in vegan recipes.
• Fresh Dill: The secret ingredient that ties the soup together, mimicking the complex flavor of cheddar cheese.

Preparation

1. Sauté diced onion, chopped celery, chopped carrots, and diced broccoli stems until softened.
2. Stir in diced potatoes and minced garlic.
3. Add vegetable broth and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
4. Transfer the soup to a blender along with raw cashews, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Blend until smooth.
5. Add steamed broccoli florets, fresh dill, and fresh lemon juice. Pulse until the florets are incorporated but still chunky.
6. Roast reserved broccoli florets and make homemade croutons for a crunchy topping.

Tips for the Perfect Vegan Broccoli Soup

• Don't over-blend: The soup should have texture, so pulse in the steamed florets rather than blending them completely.
• Don't skip the dill: It's essential for mimicking the flavor of cheddar cheese.
• Add nutritional yeast: For an extra "cheese-like" flavor, blend in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup chopped carrots
• 1 pound broccoli, stems diced, florets chopped
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small Yukon Gold potato, diced (1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups cubed bread, for croutons
• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, broccoli stems, salt, and several grinds of pepper and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic and stir, then add the broth and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Let cool slightly.
3. Set aside 1 cup of the broccoli florets to roast as a topping for the soup. Place the remaining florets in a steamer basket, and set over a pot filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
4. Meanwhile, place the reserved broccoli florets and the bread cubes on the baking sheets. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast until the bread is crispy and the broccoli is tender and browned around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the soup to the blender and add the cashews, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and blend until creamy. Work in batches, if necessary. Add the steamed broccoli florets, dill, and lemon juice, and pulse until the broccoli is incorporated but still chunky. The soup should be thick; if it's too thick, add 1/2 cup water to thin to your desired consistency.
6. Season to taste and serve the soup in bowls with the roasted broccoli and croutons on top.

Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup: A Lighter Twist on a Classic

This recipe offers a slightly healthier version of broccoli cheddar soup that doesn’t sacrifice flavor or creaminess. By using non-fat Greek yogurt and extra sharp cheddar cheese, it reduces fat while maintaining a rich, cheesy taste.

Key Ingredients

• Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Using extra sharp cheddar allows for less cheese while still providing a strong cheddar flavor.
• Non-Fat Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and tang while reducing fat and increasing protein.
• Broccoli: More broccoli is included than in most recipes for extra veggies, with some blended into the soup for a thicker texture and plenty of tender chunks of broccoli florets to give the soup texture.

Preparation

1. Sauté onion, carrots, and garlic in butter.
2. Create a roux with all-purpose flour to thicken the soup.
3. Add low sodium chicken broth and simmer with broccoli florets until tender.
4. Blend part of the soup to create a creamy texture.
5. Remove from heat and stir in extra sharp cheddar cheese and plain, non-fat Greek yogurt.

Tips for the Perfect Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

• Use Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Provides a more intense cheddar flavor, allowing you to use less cheese.
• Grate Your Own Cheese: Pre-grated cheeses have anti-caking agents and are not as fresh in flavor.
• Melt Cheese Off Heat: Prevents the fat in the cheese from separating.
• Cut Broccoli Florets Small: Ensures they are easy to eat.
• Don’t Overcook the Broccoli: Simmer until fork tender, but not mushy.
• Make it Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for rice flour.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Prep the veggies and cheese - chop all the veggies as instructed above - chop the onion, slice the carrots, mince the garlic cloves, and cut up the broccoli florets - set aside in separate bowls. This soup moves quick once it gets started. Also shred the cheddar cheese at this time, if you haven’t done this in advance.
2. Sauté - Heat a large Dutch oven, or stew pot over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add the butter, once melted, add the onions and carrots - sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Make the roux - Add the flour (or rice flour for GF) and stir constantly until the flour smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the chicken broth, while stirring the roux so that you avoid lumps.
4. Simmer - Add the broccoli florets, cover and bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
5. Blend - Use a slotted spoon to remove most of the veggies from the soup to a bowl, leaving behind about 1/3 of the veggies. Use an immersion blender to blend until all of the veggies are blended up. NOTE: If you don’t have an immersion blender, simply transfer the soup mixture to a regular blender. However, I recommend an immersion blender for this recipe, it’s easier.
6. Add the cheese - Turn the heat back on and allow the soup to come to a simmer again, for just a minute. Remove from the heat and add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring between each addition until the cheese is fully melted. Blend one more time to ensure the cheese is nice and smooth. Add the reserved broccoli back in.
7. Serve - serve the soup immediately with a little extra cheese sprinkled on top, along with some black pepper.

Quick and Simple Broccoli Soup: Ready in 15 Minutes

This recipe emphasizes speed and simplicity, making it perfect for a quick lunch or light meal. It leverages a hand-held blender for easy pureeing.

Key Steps

1. Cut broccoli into florets and roughly chop the stem.
2. Place all ingredients (except milk, salt, and pepper) in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add milk, bring back to a boil, remove from heat, and blend with a hand-held blender.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tips for a Speedy Broccoli Soup

• Use a Hand-Held Blender: Simplifies the blending process and reduces cleanup.
• Adjust Thickness by Simmering: Thicken the soup by cooking it longer on the stove.
• Add Croutons for Texture: Top with croutons for added crunch.

Broccoli and White Bean Soup: A Creamy, Dairy-Free Alternative

This recipe uses white beans to create a creamy texture without relying on heavy cream. It’s packed with veggies and protein, offering a healthy and satisfying meal.

Key Ingredients

• White Beans: Replace the cream and boost the protein content.
• Broccoli Florets: The base of the soup.
• Cheddar Cheese: For a classic broccoli cheddar flavor.
• Broth: Vegetable or chicken broth can be used.

Preparation

1. Sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil.
2. Stir in flour to thicken the soup.
3. Add broccoli florets, white beans, broth, and seasonings. Simmer until broccoli is tender.
4. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pulse to the desired consistency.
5. Stir in cheese until melted.

Tips for a Healthy and Creamy Broccoli Soup

• Use an Immersion Blender: Easier for blending soups directly in the pot.
• Don’t Freeze Leftovers: Creamy/cheesy soups do not defrost well.
• Adjust Consistency with Broth: Add more broth if the soup is too thick.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large dutch oven or large soup pot, add the olive oil and warm it on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are coated and slowly pour in the broth, stirring to combine.
3. Add the broccoli florets, white beans, kosher salt, pinch of chili flakes, dried thyme and a pinch of black pepper. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.
4. Once it begins to simmer, turn to medium-low heat and keep at a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes with the lid mostly on, until the broccoli is tender.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to pulse to your desired consistency (less pulses for larger broccoli pieces). You can also use a blender to blend in batches if you don’t have an immersion blender. If you are using a blender, let the soup cool slightly before pouring into the blender.
6. Stir in the cheese, 2-2 ½ cups depending on your preferences, then season to taste and serve!

Additional Tips and Variations

• Use Frozen Broccoli: Frozen broccoli can be used if fresh is not available.
• Add Broccoli Stems: Peel and chop broccoli stems for added flavor and bulk.
• Incorporate Other Vegetables: Add shredded zucchini or cauliflower for variety.
• Add Cream Cheese: A little cream cheese can enhance the creaminess of the soup.
• Garnish creatively: Sprinkle microgreens, extra cheese, or a swirl of cream on top for an appealing presentation.

The Health Benefits of Broccoli Soup

Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, offering numerous health benefits. It’s loaded with vitamins C and K, potassium, and fiber, which can improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity. Incorporating broccoli soup into your diet is a delicious way to enjoy these benefits.

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