This Creamy Broccoli Soup with Basil is deeply nourishing, full of flavor, and made with simple ingredients in under 35 minutes. Gluten-free & Vegan-adaptable! Video.
The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.―
Why you’ll love this Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe!
This broccoli soup is creamy yet wonderfully light and healthy. It is infused with basil and has a punchy flavor! It’s very easy to make and comes together quickly- a delicious, nourishing meal in around 30 minutes!
It is a great way to use up your broccoli stems if you have them, or it can even be made with frozen broccoli. It is incredibly nourishing and easily made vegan. Broccoli and basil are a match made in heaven!
If feeling fancy, serve it up with a swirl of pesto and parmesan crisps for a delicious crunchy texture.
Ingredients in Broccoli Soup (vegan-adaptable!)
- broccoli– use whole broccoli, including the stems!
- olive oil (or butter, or ghee)
- onion– white or yellow
- garlic cloves- for punchy flavor
- veggie broth or chicken stock
- Plant-based Milk (almond milk, soy, or oat milk, cashew milk, or sub whole milk or half and half)
- Fresh basil – a must!
- Salt & Pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- Yogurt or sour cream– or sub vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream, or a splash of heavy cream
- Lemon Juice- just a squeeze.
- Optional Pesto- purchase store-bought pesto, or make your own Homemade Pesto, or Arugula pesto
- Optional Garnish- Parmesan Crisps, sourdough croutons, Crusty Bread
How to make The Best Broccoli Soup
Creamy Broccoli Soup can be made in under 35 minutes using store-bought pesto!
Step one: Prep the broccoli. Break apart the florets into small, even-sized pieces. If your broccoli has big stems, thinly slice the stems- don’t waste these, they are full of nutrients and add creaminess to the soup.
Step two: In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until golden and fragrant.
Step three: If you have many broccoli stems, add these first with the broth. Bring to a simmer and cover for 3-4 minutes, allowing the stems to soften. Skip this step if you are using all florets.
Step four: Add the broccoli florets, letting them rest on top to steam. Cover, simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
Simmer until the broccoli is fork-tender yet still vibrant green.
Step five. Add the almond milk and blend until smooth in a high-powered blender.
Add the fresh basil.
Blend until smooth. If you’d like your soup a little greener, add a handful of spinach. (I did not add spinach here, only basil.)
Step 6: Return the creamy broccoli soup to the pot and whisk in the yogurt or sour cream, then gently warm. 
Step Six: Season the soup with salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste. Add a little squeeze of lemon to taste.
Chef’s Tips
- If your soup lacks depth, whisk in a 1-2 teaspoons of white miso paste– which will add umami depth.
- If you don’t have pesto, sprinkle with parmesan or pecorino cheese.
- To make this vegan, you could add ¼ cup raw cashews to the simmering broccoli and blend with the soup along with 2 teaspoons white miso paste. Add lemon to taste at the end.
- If you want even more flavor, stir in a little pesto into the pot (or save it for the garnish).
- Add a small piece of Parmesan rind to the simmering broth to impart depth and richness.
- Add a handful of fresh spinach to the blender to make the green more vibrant.
Broccoli Soup Serving Suggestions
- Divide among bowls and serve with a swirl of pesto and optional Parmesan crisps. Purple basil is pretty here too!
- Serve with crusty sourdough bread, popovers, biscuits or savory cheddar scones!
Storing your creamy Broccoli Soup
Broccoli Soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months- this is best frozen without dairy sour cream or dairy yogurt, which can get grainy.
Enjoy the Soup!
xoxo
More favorite Broccoli recipes
- Thai Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
- Vegan Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Thyme and Sharp Cheddar
- Roasted Broccoli Salad
- 15-Minute Broccoli with Garlic & Lemon Zest
Broccoli Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
- Category: soups
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Broccoli Soup with basil is deeply nourishing, full of flavor, and made with simple ingredients in under 35 minutes. Gluten-free & Vegan-adaptable!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, stems too!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter, or ghee)
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 6 –8 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 3 cups veggie broth or chicken stock, divided (or use water and 2-3 teaspoons- Better than Boullion)
- 1 cup almond milk (or soy milk, cashew milk, oat, whole milk or half and half)
- 1 cup fresh basil (packed)
- optional: a handful of baby spinach for more vibrant color!
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch cayenne
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (feel free to use vegan sourcream, or a splash of heavy cream), more to taste.
- Squeeze of lemon
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons white miso paste
Optional Garnishes: Parmesan cheese or pecorino, Pesto (store-bought, Homemade Pesto, or Arugula pesto), Parmesan Crisps, or Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle
Instructions
- Prep the broccoli. Tear apart the florets into small, equal-ish pieces. If you have a lot of broccoli stems-thinly slice and set them aside (don’t toss!)
- In a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until golden and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the broccoli stems, and pour in the stock or broth and bring to boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently 3-4 minutes. Skip this step if using florets ( just add them to the broth).
- Place the broccoli florets over the top of the broth. Cover, and simmer gently, allowing the florets to steam, until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. You want them tender enough to blend but not overly cooked or you’ll lose that vibrant color.
- Blend in two batches adding half of the almond milk to each batch, along with the basil. Blend until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot and whisk in the salt, pepper, cayenne, yogurt or sour cream and gently warm.
- Taste. Add a squeeze of lemon.
- TIP: if your soup lacks depth, whisk in 2 teaspoons of white miso paste or more veggie boullion.
- Serve with a swirl of pesto, or sprinkling of parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Notes
Soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or can be frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups with 1 tablespoon pesto
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 966.4 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.5 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Cholesterol: 8.5 mg
I just made this and it was a little thin so I tossed in some stale sourdough that I had cubed and then used the immersion blender to incorporate everything. This came out fantastic.
Great, glad it worked out!
Great recipe! I added too much stock accidentally so added two diced and boiled yellow potatoes for my desired consistency. Yummy!
Perfect Save Kathryn, glad you enjoyed it!
Just so yum! What a great way to enjoy brocolli. I added extra basil, some spinach and miso 😊such a beautiful, fresh green. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this Emilia!
Hi Sylvia! Is it possible to use frozen broccoli for this recipe? I often struggle to find fresh broccoli where I live. Thanks!
Yes, that should be fine Marion!
This soup is just the best…so soothing. I didn’t have quite enough fresh broccoli so added plenty of baby spinach…the color was brilliant green. Used a bit of white miso. Adding the parmesan rind totally threw this recipe over the top! Definitely making more during this cold winter spell. We have farmers’ markets here year round so thinking of trying this recipe as a cold summer soup. Thanks Sylvia.
So happy you enjoyed Tanene!
Oh! PS – added 1T white miso as well, per another commenter.
This turned out very well! Served with FAH Arugula Pesto, a few drops of lemon, and some flaky salt. Enjoyed even by those with some aversion to cooked broccoli. Used chicken broth and whole milk, did add a bit of spinach, and chopped the florets VERY small to minimize cook time … they steamed nicely and everything stayed bright green. Great idea to do them that way – that army green that broccoli can take on when overcooked in a soup is not terribly appealing! Will make again, thank you!.
Great Christin, helpful to hear your method!
Adding white miso was a BRILLIANT idea! Just what it needed.
Perfect, so glad it worked out for you!
Simple and delicious! Thank you!
thanks so much!
I have some homemade pesto- can I substitute that for the fresh basil?
Yes for sure Patty!
Thanks Sylvia. I ended up needing to run to the market for something else and I picked up some fresh basil. I don’t think the pieces of my broccoli florets were small enough so it took a bit longer to cook – but no problem! Another one of your excellent recipes is the Vegan Broccoli Soup – which is a personal favorite (and I’m not vegan)- so I did what I do for that recipe and added a bunch of spinach to get that vibrant green color. This recipe turned out great.
Thank you so much for all of your recipes and sharing your expertise and wisdom to prepare healthy meals. I tell everyone I know that likes to cook about how terrific you are!
Thanks so much Patty! Glad you are enjoying the blog. And thank you SO MUCH for sharing it, very appreciated. Yes, adding the spinach adds a pop of color here!
Yummy and easy to make! I used half&half instead of almond milk because it was left over from my daughter’s visit in December. Next time I’ll make it with almond milk. This recipe is a keeper!
Glad you enjoyed this!
Adding this to the ‘to make’ list, and curious about those parm crisps in your photo. Can you share a source or recipe?
I should do a post for them. So easy! Bake a thin layer of parmesan- on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the oven. I like to sprinkle with everything bagel spice. Bake until golden and edges are crispy at 375F.
So delicious! A very different soup with a creamy yet vibrant feel. Thanks Sylvia, this is another gem I find through you.
Love your description Maria! So happy you enjoyed.
Excellent! I made this completely vegan – I had leftover vegan sour cream and arugula pesto in the freezer which I added to the pot (as per the expert tips) and it was simply delicious!
Sounds great Leanne!
Very good I used coconut milk and a mushroom stalk for mine and added nutritional yeast as a cheese sub very good
Awesome Charlie- glad you liked it!
Awesome flavours.Had to add some pasta as it was not enough for three.But it mix well together.
Thanks! It should make about 6 cups- was that about what you got David?
Ok, I have another question – how does this soup hold up over a few days? Like if I want to make it on Sunday but serve it on Tuesday.
Or is it one of those “best when fresh” recipes?
It holds well!
Hello. This recipe looks great, but I’m confused why it mentions 1.5 cups broccoli twice in the ingredients list. I don’t see anywhere to add the second 1.5 lbs so I think it’s a typo?
Opps! I had the broccoli down twice. Thanks for catching that! Use 1 1/2 lbs broccoli in total, including the stems. 🙂
At least you know we’re paying attention 🙂
I love it! thanks Carolyn!
I’m confused do you need 1 and a half lbs of broccoli florretes and 1 and a half lbs of stems? Or a total of 1 and a half lbs of broccoli?
Hi Kris, tt was a typo- 1 1/2 lbs total, including the stems- sorry about that!