Best Cream Of Broccoli Soup
This quick homemade cream of broccoli soup is the best, thanks to flavorful additions like celery and onions and a thick, but creamy, texture.
- 35 min
- Serves 6
- 8 ingredients
Steps
- Gather all ingredients.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until tender.
- Add broccoli and broth, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium to medium-low heat; stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an immersion blender for cream of broccoli soup?
Yes, and it avoids the most awkward part of this method. Blending it in the pot means no transferring hot soup to a jug in batches, which is why the recipe is so careful about filling the blender no more than halfway and holding the lid down.
Why is my cream of broccoli soup grainy?
Usually the flour mixture. The 3 tablespoons of butter and flour need to cook together before the milk goes in, and the milk should be stirred in steadily until it thickens rather than dumped in at once. Adding it to soup that is boiling hard can also make it split.
Can I use frozen broccoli in this soup?
Yes, and it is a reasonable swap for the 8 cups of florets. Frozen broccoli is already blanched so it softens faster, meaning it may need less than the 10 minutes of simmering before you blend it.
Can I make cream of broccoli soup vegetarian?
Yes, replace the 3 cups of chicken broth with vegetable broth and nothing else needs to change. The rest of the recipe is butter, milk and vegetables already.
Can I freeze cream of broccoli soup?
It freezes poorly once the milk is in, because the thickened mixture tends to separate when thawed. If you want to freeze it, do so after blending the broccoli and broth, then make the butter, flour and milk mixture fresh when you reheat.
Can I make this soup dairy free?
Yes, use oil in place of the butter and an unsweetened plant milk in place of the 2 cups of dairy milk. Choose something neutral such as oat or soy, as coconut milk will push the flavour somewhere quite different.