This cheesy cream of broccoli soup is hearty, healthy and super delicious. The made-from-scratch soup recipe is super simple and ready in just under 30 mins! This broccoli cheese soup is made with broccoli and cheddar cheese.
It’s getting chillier by the day and soups of different kinds are pretty regular on our dinner menu. The broccoli cheese soup is truly a winter comfort food. Onion, garlic, potatoes, and broccoli are cooked in a vegetable kitchen stock, pureed and then seasoned with cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The nutmeg is my surprise flavor in the soup. It adds a sweet, warm, and earthy flavor.
Broccoli was not always my best friend. My childhood was spared of broccoli. It wasn’t a common vegetable back then in India. Only now do we see broccoli a lot around here and don’t be surprised when a simpleton vegetable seller calls it the “green cauliflower” :-).
I started eating Broccoli because it is such a nutritional vegetable. Broccoli is good for detoxification, for digestion, for heart health, for guiding immunity, and also has anti-cancer properties. I think the biggest surprise for me was that Broccoli is a very good source of Vitamin C! I always associated Vitamin C with citrus fruits and would have never thought that broccoli would be high in vitamin C.
Health benefits of broccoli
Health benefits of broccoli include:- Nutritional value of Broccoli: 100g of Broccoli provide 34g carbs, 0.4g fat, 2.8g protein, 2.6g dietary fiber, and 149% of our daily Vitamin C requirement! In addition, Broccoli is 89% water! [source]
- Anti-Cancer: Broccoli is part of cruciferous vegetable group that is known for their cancer fighting properties and anti-inflammatory proterties.
- Weight Loss: Broccoli is a low carb, no-fat vegetable with lots of fiber and water. Thus it is ideal for weight loss.
- Better Digestion: The high fiber and water content also help maintain a healthy gut and overall digestive health.
- High Protein: Broccoli has higher protein content than most vegetables.
- Vitamins & Minerals: Broccoli is high in many vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, B6, K, folate, potassium, iron, and manganese. It is also rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Ingredients for Broccoli cheese soup
This recipe is a celebration of broccoli and needs very few more ingredients:
- Broccoli: florets and soft parts of the stem. Yes, broccoli stem is edible and in fact very nutritious and tasty! Do not throw it away :-). You can also cut it and keep to add in stir fry recipes.
- Onion and garlic are aromatics that enhance the flavor
- Potato: Broccoli is a non-starchy vegetable and adding a potato gives the soup a thicker consistency.
- Cheddar: Just a little bit of cheddar cheese gives the soup a smooth texture and also a cheesy flavor. Other cheese that goes well with cream of broccoli soup is Stilton Cheese. Skip for a vegan preparation
- Oil or Butter to cook the vegetables in. Use oil for a vegan preparation.
- Simple vegetable stock: I like my homemade stock made largely with vegetable peels.
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and if you like some nutmeg or mace.
How to make the veg cream of broccoli soup
- Sauté the vegetables in a little oil or butter until they are lightly browned.
- Pour over stock, salt, and pepper and cook till tender.
- Blend with a stick blender.
- Mix in cheese until it melts.
- Serve with nutmeg and croutons.
Tools you will need to make Broccoli cheese soup on stovetop
- Basic utensils like colander to wash the vegetables; knife and cutting board; and mixing spoons.
- A deep stock pot
- Hand held stick blender
The creaminess of this cream of Broccoli soup comes just from the cooked vegetables and a little bit of cheese. I do not add any milk cream or corn-starch or any other starch powder to get the thick creamy consistency. The soup is healthy, easy to make, vegetarian, and gluten-free! While cheese does add to the taste and texture, you can skip it to make a vegan broccoli soup.
Cream of Broccoli Soup | Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 white onion (~100g) chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 small potato (~80g) chopped
- 1 head of broccoli cut into florets (use the soft stem too)
- 3 cups vegetable stock (~750ml)
- 50 g cheddar cheese diced
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Freshly ground nutmeg to taste
- croûtons to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- On medium heat, heat oil in a pot. Add onions and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
- Add potatoes and mix. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped broccoli floret and stem to the pot. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Now reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat and blend to a smooth purée. Add more stock to adjust the thickness of the soup.
- Return the soup to heat and add the diced cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Pour into soup bowls, sprinkle some ground nutmeg, and/or croûtons. Serve hot.
Notes
- Nutritional Information is approximate info for 1 serving of Broccoli cheese soup
- Recipe adapted from the cookbook Mmmm… SOUP.
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Hello!
My name is Emilie and I have read your blog and I really liked your recipes! Thanks for sharing!