Cream of Broccoli (Printer View)

A velvety, comforting soup featuring fresh broccoli blended with aromatic vegetables and finished with cream for rich flavor.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large head broccoli (about 1.1 pounds), chopped into florets
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable broth
06 - ½ cup heavy cream, plus extra for garnish (optional)

→ Fats & Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
11 - Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)
13 - Croutons (optional)

# Method:

01 - Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and minced garlic. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add the chopped broccoli florets to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
03 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes until the broccoli is very tender.
04 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches with a countertop blender), blend the soup until completely smooth.
05 - Stir in the heavy cream and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently reheat over low heat if needed—do not boil after adding cream.
06 - Ladle into bowls. Garnish with extra cream, fresh chives, or croutons as desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 45 minutes, which means you can go from craving to bowl in one evening.
  • The velvety texture comes together so effortlessly with an immersion blender, no fancy techniques required.
  • It tastes like someone spent hours coaxing flavors, but honestly, you're just letting butter and cream do the heavy lifting.
02 -
  • Never let the soup boil after you've added cream, as it can separate and turn grainy; low heat and patience are your friends here.
  • Taste as you season at the end, because broth saltiness varies wildly between brands, and you don't want an oversalted soup.
03 -
  • Blend in stages if you're nervous about hot soup splattering; doing half at a time is safer and gives you more control.
  • A tiny splash of white wine or lemon juice stirred in at the very end brightens everything and makes people ask what your secret is.
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