Learn all about how to make cream of broccoli soup for quick and easy meals! This simple recipe shows you how to make an easy, healthy, old fashioned cream of broccoli soup, with or without cheese in it.
Believe it or not, this cream of broccoli soup recipe with heavy cream is total comfort food to me. Maybe, now that I think about it, most soups are very satisfying.
I'm a huge broccoli fan so I know that is part of the reason why I LOVE this soup so much. So many options. All with the same amazing result. For another version of broccoli soup, try this copycat Panera broccoli soup in the instant pot.
If you love broccoli, you might also enjoy this broccoli cornbread recipe, cheesy broccoli rice, or some healthy broccoli tots.
Why This Recipe Works
- Versatile recipe. Change it up to fit your dietary needs. It works with or without cream, with or without cheese, pureed or not, and with additional vegetables or not.
- Super easy to make so it's perfect for busy weeknights or to make on the weekend to use throughout the week.
- Healthy soup recipe. Broccoli is packed with lots of nutrients and soup is a great way to sneak veggies in to feed kids or adults who are picky when it comes to eating veggies.
Ingredients
Make broccoli cheese soup with just a handful of simple ingredients you can easily find in the grocery store.
- Butter: Used to saute the onion and it adds a bit of rich flavor to the soup. You can also use healthy vegetable oil too but it does alter the flavor a tad.
- Onion: Use sweet onions or yellow onions for a milder onion flavor.
- Flour: Thickens the soup.
- Chicken or vegetable broth: Adds flavor to the soup and makes the soup taste better than water.
- Broccoli: The star of the show. Use fresh broccoli when available, though you can also make this easily with frozen broccoli too.
- Whipping cream: Makes the soup creamier than milk alone.
How to Make Cream of Broccoli Soup
This soup goes together quickly in just a few simple steps. Let's take a look at what you will need to do.
Check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of instructions.
- In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent about 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- While the onions are cooking, clean and cut the broccoli into florets.
- Add flour to the onions, stirring until combined.
- Add broth and 1 cup of water. Whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk occasionally.
- Add the broccoli pieces and simmer until broccoli is very tender about 20 minutes.
- Let the soup cool slightly. Working in small batches, fill a blender halfway with mixture and puree until smooth. Return soup to your pot after it's pureed.
- Place the pot back on the stovetop. Add the cream and heat over medium until hot. Season with salt and pepper. You can thin it with broth or water if needed.
- Serve it up topped with cheese! You can garnish the top with a sprinkle of chopped broccoli for a splash of color.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use cauliflower: In place of the broccoli. These veggies are from the same family but with slightly different flavors. You can also use half broccoli and half cauliflower.
- Lower fat? Use milk and reduced fat sour cream instead of whipping cream.
- Healthy cream of broccoli soup. Skip the dairy and add more broth to thin it out after blending.
- Vegan broccoli soup. Swap the dairy for canned coconut milk or leave it out and use vegetable broth.
- Craving cream of broccoli cheese soup? Add some shredded cheese Parmesan or cheddar.
- Add some carrots. Cook them at the same time as the broccoli.
- Corn. Adding some fresh or canned corn to the soup also adds a wonderful touch. Corn also adds sweetness and color when sprinkled on top when serving.
- To puree or not to puree? Simply put, if desired you can puree this soup in batches until smooth or leave it just as is. If you're in the mood for a chunky soup you have to keep that in mind while you're chopping up all of your vegetables.
Expert Tips
This easy cream of broccoli soup is easy enough for any level cook, but here are a few tips to guide you along the way.
- No need to waste the broccoli stems. If you plan to puree this soup, then you can add the stalks. They can be added to the soup but may need to cook a bit longer to tender up.
- Be sure to use caution when blending the soup. Let it cool a bit and only fill up the blender halfway to avoid any accidents with hot soup.
- If you plan to skip pureeing, then make sure to cut veggies into smaller pieces so they cook in more time and are easy to eat.
FAQs
Yes, you definitely can but it's best to do it before you add any cream. If there is too much soup and you plan to freeze it, be sure to set some aside to freeze after cooking the broccoli. That is what I do! Then when you're ready to serve the extras you can add the cream when reheating.
I find creamy soups will separate when you try and reheat them. However, if you do freeze the soup with the cream in it just grab your blender and blend the soup again. This should solve the separating problem.
You bet you can and this is the perfect recipe to do it! All you have to do is leave it out! Pureeing the soup gives it a nice creamy texture without any dairy.
Sometimes I do that myself and enjoy a flavorful bowl of this delicious soup without the extra calories and wonderful creaminess that the heavy or whipping cream adds! You won't be disappointed!
If you're looking to make a healthy version of cream of broccoli soup it's easy to do. Cook the onions in olive oil or another healthy vegetable oil. Eliminate the dairy or use the reduced fat option with milk and sour cream. Making these two changes substantially reduces the saturated fat and calories in the soup.
More Vegetable Soup Recipes
Old Fashioned Cream of Broccoli Soup
Equipment
- pot, saucepan or large skillet
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour -
- 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli about 3 heads
- ⅓ cup whipping cream (35 %) or substitute with ½ cup 2% milk and ¼ cup reduced fat sour cream
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Optional Additions
- 1 - 2 carrots chopped or shredded, optional
- 1 cup corn, frozen or canned optional
- Cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese, shredded, optional
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Clean and cut the broccoli into florets with the stems peeled and chopped. The pieces need to be small enough to fit in your blender.
- Add flour and cook, stirring until combined.
- Add broth and 1 cup water. Whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk occasionally.
- Add broccoli pieces and simmer until broccoli is very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly. In small batches, fill a blender halfway with mixture and puree until smooth. Return soup to your pot as puree.
- Place pot back on stove top. Add cream and heat over medium until hot. This soup is great with or without cream. Season with salt and pepper. You can thin with broth or water, if needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- No need to waste the broccoli stems. If you plan to puree this soup, then you can add the stalks. They can be added to the soup but may need to cook a bit longer to tender up.
- Be sure to use caution when blending the soup. Let it cool a bit and only fill up the blender halfway to avoid any accidents with hot soup.
- If you plan to skip pureeing, then make sure to cut veggies into smaller pieces so they cook in more time and are easy to eat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December 2015. It has been republished with new images and content.
Carla
Kept it low fat by using the sour cream and milk option. And kept it low-mess by using an immersion blender. Total comfort food that the whole family loved!
Karin and Ken
I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup! We love it. You’re so right about using an immersion blender and you won’t know you’re missing calories if you use milk and sour cream. Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know your opinion on this amazing soup. All the best. Karin