Cream of Broccoli Soup

This Cream of Broccoli Soup is light, delicious, and full of creamy flavor. Ready in under 20 minutes, it is a great easy recipe for meal prep, and batch cooking as it freezes well!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 272kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (70g)
1 small sweet onion chopped (about 1 cup/172g)
3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 cups chicken broth (720mL)
8 cups broccoli florets (1.25 lbs/575g)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half (480mL)

Instructions

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the broth, broccoli, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is vibrant green and tender; about 5 minutes.
Working in two batches, transfer the broccoli and cooking liquid to a blender. Cover with the lid and remove the center piece to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Repeat the process with the remaining broccoli mixture. Return the blended broccoli mixture to the pot, and rewarm over low, stirring occasionally.
While the broccoli mixture warms, in a small saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the flour turns a pale golden brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in half-and-half until smooth. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture bubbles and is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir the half-and-half mixture into the broccoli mixture in the pot. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

Use an immersion blender. If you want to make this recipe in one pot, use a hand-held immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot instead of mixing it in the blender. This makes for easier cleanup and a creamy, smooth texture!
Optional variations. Use vegetable broth or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock for a vegetarian option. Or make it a broccoli cheese soup recipe by mixing in shredded parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese. You can also make it dairy-free by swapping the half-and-half 1:1 with coconut milk and the olive oil 1:1 with the butter.
Optional: make it hearty. Add some additional texture to the soup by including potato. Peel and dice a russet potato and steam it until a fork easily penetrates through a piece, for about 15 minutes. Add the steamed potatoes to the soup before pureeing it to keep the overall soup texture smooth, or add the potatoes to the soup after it’s pureed for a chunkier finish.
Garnish. Add a drizzle of heavy cream, olive oil, and a sprinkle of black pepper before serving for extra delicious flavor. You can also reserve ½ cup of broccoli florets and chop them up as a garnish. Additionally, try diced avocado, croutons, fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, flaky sea salt, sour cream, or a squeeze of citrus like lemon or lime juice.

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