A one-pot recipe that’s ready in about 40 minutes, it’s wonderfully creamy and so very flavorful.
Whenever the weather gets colder, I get excited about making soups. They are warming and comforting, and they make great use of vegetables. A few of my favorites are onion soup, cauliflower soup, and cabbage soup.
Creamy, delicate, and incredibly flavorful, this cream of broccoli soup turns the humble broccoli into a delicacy. It’s delicious, satiating, and surprisingly easy to make. You can serve it as a first course, but you can also double the amount you serve per person and serve it as a main course.
Recipe Card
Chicken broth: I use reduced-sodium chicken broth. When I have homemade chicken broth, I use that. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Broccoli florets: Fresh or frozen - both work. Heavy cream: I only use ¼ cup, and it adds a wonderful creaminess to the soup. You can add more if you wish, up to a total of ½ cup. Grated Parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated parmesan, not coarsely shredded. The parmesan adds great flavor and helps thicken the soup since we’re not using flour.
In a large saucepan, add the chicken stock, salt and pepper, and spices. Next, add the broccoli. Bring to a boil, then simmer until very tender, 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan. Cook just until heated through, then serve. The second method is to use an immersion blender and blend the soup right inside the pot. I used this method when filming the video, and as you can see, the soup is not as creamy. However, it’s just as tasty, and using an immersion blender is easier. Which of these methods you choose is up to you. Both work and both yield great results, just different textures. When using a stand blender, never fill your blender past the maximum fill line. It’s best to fill it no more than half full. If the lid of your blender wasn’t designed to allow steam to escape, you’ll need to remove the centerpiece and drape a clean towel on top of the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without actually placing your hand - or your face - over the hot steam. You can also freeze individual portions of this soup. To prevent the frozen soup from curdling when reheated, I reheat it covered in a 50% power microwave in 30-second sessions, stirring often.
