Name: Pureed Broccoli Soup
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley; 8 cups chopped broccoli (stems and florets); 2 cups water; 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth or vegetable broth; 0.5 cup half-and-half (optional); 0.5 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

4

Yield:

4 servings, about 2 cups each

Nutrition Profile:

Nut-Free Healthy Immunity Soy-Free High-Fiber High-Protein Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie

Jump to Nutrition Facts

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 precut 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, it's 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.

Frothy pureed broccoli soup in a blender — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

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, then 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 four days or freeze it for up to three months.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
8 cups chopped broccoli (stems and florets)
2 cups water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, "no-chicken" broth or vegetable broth
½ cup half-and-half (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Stir in broccoli. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 8 minutes.

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook; updated October 2022

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

160	Calories
9g	Fat
17g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Serving Size about 2 cups
Calories 160
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 17g	6%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g	17%
Total Fat 9g	11%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 8mg	3%
Vitamin A 2342IU	47%
Vitamin C 95mg	106%
Folate 162mcg	41%
Sodium 434mg	19%
Calcium 85mg	7%
Iron 2mg	9%
Magnesium 38mg	9%
Potassium 699mg	15%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.