This broccoli soup is packed with vegetables but you would never know. It’s incredibly flavorful and has the most luxurious texture – creamy, velvety smooth, and rich. the recipe is vegan (diary-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.

There are people who genuinely love vegetables. My husband finishes every meal with a few handfuls of raw spinach. My sister snacks on frozen peas straight from the bag. Some people adore radishes or asparagus…

And then there are those who find vegetables way too … vegetal. If you’re one of those (or have picky eaters at home), there’s a scientific way to change that. 

Every type of produce is different in terms of chemistry and how it responds to cutting and cooking. For instance, when you cut an onion, you break open cells that release an enzyme called alliinase. This enzyme triggers a chemical reaction that produces much of the pungent aroma we associate with freshly cut onions. The more finely you cut the onion, the more enzymes (and flavor) it releases. The same applies to cruciferous vegetables. When you cut broccoli, you free up a sulfur-rich compound called sulforaphane. The more you cut the broccoli, the more compounds it releases.

The released compounds then react during cooking. The more finely cut the vegetables, the stronger the reaction. For example, a finely chopped onion will react stronger with oil than one cut into large chunks.

To make it even more complex, different cooking methods and cooking times produce different reactions. Short-boiled broccoli tastes bright and grassy while long-roasted and/or sautéed broccoli tastes sweet (due to the caramelization of natural sugars).

To tie it all together, if you’re not a fan of cruciferous vegetables, there are a few things you can do – keep the broccoli florets relatively large, boil them for no longer than 1-2 minutes, and then ice water shock the broccoli to stop the cooking as quickly as possible. 

Tips for Making Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

Tasting this cream of broccoli soup, you’d never know that it’s  made without any dairy. Its rich taste and creamy texture come from these plant-based ingredients:

• Broccoli: it wouldn’t be cream of broccoli soup if it wasn’t for broccoli. I use both the florets and the stem. The great thing about broccoli (compared to some other brassica vegetables) is that it contains a lot of chlorophyll. This complex molecule not only makes broccoli vibrantly green, but it also helps counteract the sulfuric taste and smell broccoli is famous for. 
• Parsley: the two most popular types of parsley are flat-leaf (Italian) and curly. I always use flat-leaf when making broccoli soup because it has a more robust aroma. Curly parsley is very mild and is best used as a garnish.
• Onions and garlic: aromatic vegetables impart a huge amount of depth of flavor. Almost every cuisine in the world starts with a simple vegetable base of onions and in most cases also garlic. 
• Cashews: cooking is all about balance and cashews provide the much needed sweetness to counteract the peppery notes of broccoli. Cashews also yield the most amazing creamy texture.
• Nutritional yeast: the one ingredient that contributes to a cheesy flavor in plant-based dishes is nutritional yeast. It has a relatively strong flavor that is somewhat similar to that pungent taste found in cheese. A little goes a long way in order not to overpower the entire dish. 
• Lemon juice: acidity helps to balance and lighten up this soup. I prefer lemon juice in this recipe, but lime juice or even apple cider vinegar work too.
• Vegetable broth: homemade vegetable broth will take this soup to another level, but of course, any vegetable broth will do.
• Salt: the only seasoning I use in this soup is salt. However, a bay leaf or peppercorns would go well with the soup too. 

How to Make Cream of Broccoli Soup

One of the things I love most about puréed soups is how easy they are to make. All you need is a high-speed blender and before you know it, you have creamy, satisfying soup. 

1. Prepare the cashew cream. Add all the “cashew cream” ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Leave half of the cashews cream in the blender and set the other half aside (for serving). 
2. Sauté the aromatics. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté the aromatics until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Sautéing the aromatics gives them the opportunity to soften and release their essential flavors, creating the first layer of flavor in the soup.
3. Cook the broccoli. Add the broccoli into the pot with the aromatics, cover it with vegetable broth, and let it simmer for a maximum of couple of minutes. The flavor of broccoli changes dramatically depending on the cooking time. So, the trick to making this broccoli soup taste amazing is to not really cook the broccoli. If you’re sensitive to the sulfurous smell and taste of brassica vegetables, you can also ice water shock the broccoli.
   Another reason for not cooking the broccoli for too long is the aforementioned chlorophyll. In fresh vegetables, chlorophyll occurs as a fat-soluble compound tied to protein. When vegetables are cooked for more than a few minutes – in the case of broccoli, it is 8 minutes – the linkage is disrupted. This leaves the chlorophyll free and unstable, so it reacts with an acid found in plants to form a compound known as pheophytin. This simple structural change alters the color of chlorophyll from light green to yellowish green. The longer a vegetable is cooked, the more chlorophyll molecules are altered and the more green color is lost.
4. Blend. Transfer the broccoli with the aromatics and vegetable broth into the blender with the cashew cream. Add the parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and blend until completely smooth. I highly recommend using a high-speed blender because parsley can be tough and stringy. A standard or an immersion blender might work, but the results won’t be quite as smooth.

How To Serve Cream of Broccoli Soup

Puréed soups almost always benefit from a textural contrast. So, serve the cream of broccoli soup with bread croutons or toasted sourdough bread. Another option is to pour the soup into a crusty bread bowl.

To garnish the soup, add a few spoonfuls of the set aside cashew cream and swirl into the soup. To get the design pictured here, pipe out dots of the cashew cream in a circle or a spiral form, slightly spaced apart. Then use a skewer and drag it through all the dots in one motion. You can find a video tutorial above.

How to Store and Reheat Broccoli Soup

• Refrigerating: allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. 
• Freezing: allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: transfer frozen soup into the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if too thick.

More Puréed Soup Recipes

If you’re interested in more puréed soup recipes, I have an entire blog post with Vitamix soup recipes and tips for making blended soups. Some of the recipes include:

• Butternut squash soup: this butternut squash soup is everything you expect from a traditional butternut squash soup – rich, creamy, and full of roasted butternut squash flavor. It undoubtedly falls into the comfort food category.
• Cream of cauliflower soup: this soup is lusciously creamy, a bit garlicy, and slightly nutty. What makes this cauliflower soup shine is roasted cauliflower and caramelized aromatics.
• Cream of mushroom soup: if you love cream of mushroom soup and want to skip the canned stuff, this soup is your new favorite soup. It’s so creamy, rich, and satisfying that you would never guess it’s dairy-free. 
• Roasted red pepper soup: this light roasted red pepper soup is a twist on the classic cream of tomato soup. The sweetness of roasted bell peppers blends beautifully with the distinctive tartness of sun-dried tomatoes. The result is a comforting, delicious soup.
• Gazpacho: there are a million and one versions of gazpacho out there, so this is my most basic recipe to get you started. This soup is refreshing, light, and flavor-packed.

If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Cream of Broccoli Soup

This broccoli soup is packed with vegetables but you would never know. It's incredibly flavorful and has the most luxurious texture - creamy, velvety smooth, and rich. the recipe is vegan (diary-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Broccoli Soup

• 8 cups broccoli florets
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley*
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• sea salt , to taste

Cashew Cream

• 3/4 cup cashews , soaked**
• 1 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prepare the cashew cream. Add all the "cashew cream" ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Leave half of the cashews cream in the blender and set the other half aside for serving. 
• Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
• Cook the broccoli. Add the broccoli and broth into the pot with the aromatics and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, season with salt (if the broth doesn’t contain salt already), and simmer, partially covered, until the broccoli begins to soften but is still firm and bright green, about 2 minutes.
• Blend the broccoli. Transfer the broccoli with the aromatics and vegetable broth into the blender with the cashew cream. Add the parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and blend on high until completely smooth. If using a Vitamix blender, blend until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid, 5-6 minutes.
• Season. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, and lemon juice for acidity.
• Serve. Pour the soup into serving bowls - it will be hot straight out of the blender (if using Vitamix). Garnish with a few swirls of the set aside cashew cream and a few fresh parsley leaves.
• Store. Leftover soup keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Reheat. Transfer frozen soup into the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating to thaw slightly. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Add ¼ cup/60 ml water/broth at a time if too thick.

Equipment

blender

cookware

knife set

cutting board

measuring 4 cup

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Recipe Notes

*If you don't have a high-speed blender, use only parsley leaves and tender stems.

**Soak the cashews for 4-8 hours (or overnight). To quick-soak, pour boiling hot water over the cashews and soak for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and use as instructed.

***Nutrition information is approximate and may contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.

Nutrition Facts

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 of 4)

Calories 269 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 12g24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.