This easy cream of broccoli soup features heavy cream and Parmesan for a rich, savory finish. A simple one-pot recipe ready in 30 minutes.
Soups are warming and comforting, and make great use of vegetables. A few of my favorites are onion soup, cauliflower soup, and cabbage soup. Creamy, delicate, and flavorful, this cream of broccoli soup turns broccoli into a delicacy. It's surprisingly easy to make! You can serve it as a first course, or double the amount per person and make it a satisfying, filling main course.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Chicken broth: I use Pacific Foods chicken broth. I prefer it over low-sodium broth because it adds more flavor without being overly salty, unlike some other brands. When I have homemade chicken broth, I use that.
- Broccoli florets: Fresh florets are better, but frozen can work, too.
- Heavy cream: I use ¼ cup, which adds wonderful creaminess to the soup. You can add more if you wish, up to ½ cup total.
- Grated Parmesan: Please use finely grated Parmesan, not coarsely shredded. The Parmesan adds savory flavor and helps thicken the soup since we're not using flour.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock and seasonings. Add the broccoli. Bring to a boil, then simmer until very tender.
Turn the heat off. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
Stir in heavy cream, then, off heat, Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Delish! Thank you - I was craving an easy soup on this chilly day and had all ingredients except parm. My bowl needed a little spicy something so added a sprinkle of lemon-pepper to jazz It up, worked for me lol. Will be on rotation yum!
1workngirl
Read more comments
Delish! Thank you - I was craving an easy soup on this chilly day and had all ingredients except parm. My bowl needed a little spicy something so added a sprinkle of lemon-pepper to jazz It up, worked for me lol. Will be on rotation yum!Recipe Tip
If you like pureed soups and make them often, I highly recommend purchasing an immersion blender. A stand blender is more powerful and will produce a smoother soup, but an immersion blender is easier because it lets you blend the soup directly in the pot, eliminating the need to transfer hot liquid, work in batches, or deal with extra cleanup.
If you don't own an immersion blender, working in at least two batches, carefully transfer the hot soup to your stand blender. Blend each batch until completely smooth and transfer it to a bowl. When all batches are done, return the pureed soup to the pot and proceed with the recipe.
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, remove the centerpiece and drape a clean towel over the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without placing your hand or face over the hot steam.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but fresh is better. It retains more of its bright green color, making the soup more visually appealing. In addition, frozen broccoli releases more water. But you can't beat the convenience of frozen, and it does produce delicious soup.
If you opt for frozen broccoli, use it frozen - don't thaw it first - and reduce the broth by ½ cup.
Many recipes add flour, but I don't think it's necessary. Any pureed soup is inherently thick (this butternut squash soup is another good example), and when you add heavy cream and Parmesan, there's truly no need for flour.
If you feel the soup isn't thick enough, you can stir an extra ¼ cup of Parmesan.
Only if you're willing to make a roux with butter and flour. I add only ¼ cup of heavy cream to this soup. This is just the amount needed to make it wonderfully creamy without detracting from the broccoli flavor or making it too milky.
Usually, it's the broccoli. It contains sulfur compounds that can taste bitter, especially if the florets are very mature (thicker stems, darker green tops) or if it's cooked a bit too long or boiled hard. Try to use young broccoli, simmer rather than boil, and turn the heat off as soon as it's tender.
If you've already made the soup and it has a slightly bitter note, try adding any of the following: a pinch of salt, 2 extra tablespoons of heavy cream, a teaspoon of sherry vinegar, or (as a last resort) a teaspoon of sugar/maple syrup.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Don't allow the soup to boil.
You can also freeze this soup. I like to freeze individual portions in covered mugs or mason jars. To prevent the frozen soup from curdling when reheated, I microwave it, covered, at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring often.
Serving Suggestions
This soup makes a wonderful first course, but you can also make it into an entree. Simply serve it to two instead of four, with almond flour bread, cheese muffins, or cornbread to round out the meal. The photo below shows it served with cornbread muffins.
Sometimes, to make it a complete meal, I make tiny meatballs (based on this baked meatballs recipe) and add them to the soup. Another option, shown in the image below, is to add cooked, shredded chicken (using any of my chicken breast recipes, including baked chicken breast, poached chicken, broiled chicken, or grilled chicken breast).
Recipe Card
Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt - See the notes section below
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 pound fresh broccoli florets
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated; not shredded
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, add the chicken broth, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. Whisk to combine.3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Add the broccoli. It does not have to be fully submerged. Bring to a boil over high heat. This should take about 5 minutes with fresh broccoli and 10 minutes with frozen. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the broccoli is very tender, for about 10 minutes.1 pound fresh broccoli florets
- Turn the heat off. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
- Turn the heat up to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and cook just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Don't let it boil.¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Turn the heat off and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth.
- Taste and decide if you'd like to add salt and/or freshly ground black pepper, then serve.
Notes
Salting the Soup
How much salt to add depends on your personal taste and the saltiness of your chicken broth. Please adjust to taste.Using Frozen Broccoli
You can use frozen broccoli, but fresh is better. It retains more of its bright green color, making the soup more visually appealing. In addition, frozen broccoli releases more water. But you can't beat the convenience of frozen, and it does produce delicious soup. If you opt for frozen broccoli, use it frozen - don't thaw it first - and reduce the broth by ½ cup.Thickening the Soup
Many recipes add flour, but I don't think it's necessary. Any pureed soup is inherently thick, and when you add heavy cream and Parmesan, there's truly no need for flour. If you feel the soup isn't thick enough, you can stir in an extra ¼ cup of Parmesan.Counteracting Bitterness
If your soup tastes slightly bitter, it usually comes from the broccoli, which contains sulfur compounds that can taste bitter, especially if the florets are very mature (thicker stems, darker green tops) or if it's cooked a bit too long or boiled hard. Try to use young broccoli, simmer it rather than boil it, and turn the heat off as soon as it's tender. If you've already made the soup and it has a bitter note, try adding any of the following:- A generous pinch of salt would be my first choice
- 2 extra tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon of sherry or white wine vinegar - add off heat; don't cook it
- 1 teaspoon of a sweetener (such as sugar or maple syrup) - last resort
Blending the Soup
If you like pureed soups and make them often, I highly recommend purchasing an immersion blender. A stand blender is more powerful and will produce a smoother soup, but an immersion blender is easier because it lets you blend the soup directly in the pot, eliminating the need to transfer hot liquid, work in batches, or deal with extra cleanup. If you don't own an immersion blender, working in at least two batches, carefully transfer the hot soup to your stand blender. Blend each batch until completely smooth and transfer it to a bowl. When all batches are done, return the pureed soup to the pot and proceed with the recipe. 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, remove the centerpiece and drape a clean towel over the lid. You can hold down the lid when blending to prevent it from being pushed off, but do so without placing your hand or face over the hot steam.Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Don't allow the soup to boil when you reheat it. You can also freeze this soup. I like to freeze individual portions in covered mugs or mason jars. To prevent the frozen soup from curdling when reheated, I reheat it, covered, at 50% power in a microwave in 30-second sessions, stirring often.Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Lisa Wells says
The broccoli soup was incredible! I did not have thyme, but I used the rest of the ingredients. Thank you so much for an easy, delicious meal!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm really glad you enjoyed this soup, Lisa!
Thank you for trying my recipes and sharing your feedback - much appreciated.
Cece Dunham says
I am looking for ways to use more broccoli. I thought this recipe was easy and tasty. I had evaporated milk that needed to be used up, and I think that worked fine. For some extra fiber, I added a tablespoon of chia seeds. Would never know it was there.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Cece,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup. Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review and share your tweaks - very interesting!
Donna says
Tasty soup! Repeatable! Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Donna! Thank you so much for the review.
Chris Paler says
Very tasty and not a lot of prep work. We did find it salty, so I would recommend starting with 1/2 of the salt suggested in recipe. Heavy cream seems like a great rich flavor, but I didn't have any on hand, so I used whole milk.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you enjoyed this soup, Chris! Thanks for the feedback.
1workngirl says
Delish! Thank you - I was craving an easy soup on this chilly day and had all ingredients except parm. My bowl needed a little spicy something so added a sprinkle of lemon-pepper to jazz It up, worked for me lol. Will be on rotation yum!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it! I love the idea of adding lemon pepper!
nascar4433 says
Can this be made into broccoli cheddar soup? I know you're adding parm in the original recipe and am looking forward to making it, but also wanting a good broccoli cheddar recipe. Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes! Omit the parmesan. Step 5 in the recipe card will read as follows:
Turn the heat up to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream. Stir in 2 cups (8 ounces) of shredded cheddar cheese, a handful at a time. Cook just until heated through and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
nascar4433 says
Thank you for your quick response! Wow! I'm going to make it tomorrow or next day, as I bought all the ingredients. Have a wonderful Fall & holiday season.