This Creamy Broccoli Soup with Pesto 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.―
Here is the simplest of soups- Creamy Broccoli Soup finished with a swirl of pesto. It’s very easy to make and comes together quickly- a delicious, nourishing meal in no time flat. What I like about this soup, is how the broccoli shines here- no added filler like potatoes! Broccoli stems give the soup its creaminess.
If feeling fancy, serve it up with parmesan crisps for a delicious crunchy texture. Or try this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
Creamy Broccoli Pesto Soup Video
Ingredients in Creamy Broccoli Soup (vegan-adaptable!)
- broccoli– use whole broccoli, including the stems!
- olive oil (or butter, or ghee)
- onion– white or yellow
- garlic cloves
- veggie broth or chicken stock
- almond milk (or oat milk, cashew milk, whole milk or half and half)
- Fresh basil
- Salt & Pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- Yogurt or sour cream– or sub vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream, or a splash of heavy cream
- 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 Creamy Broccoli Soup
Creamy Broccoli Soup can be made in under 35 minutes using store-bought pesto!
Step one
Thinly slice the stems- don’t waste these. They are full of nutrients and add creaminess to the soup. Break apart the tops into small florets.
Step two
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until golden and fragrant.
Step three
Add the thinly cut broccoli stems and broth.
Bring to a simmer and cover for 3-4 minutes, allowing the stems to soften.
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 in 2 batches.
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 Six
Return the creamy broccoli soup to the dutch oven and whisk in the yogurt or sour cream, then gently warm.
Season with salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste.
Step Six:
Serve with a swirl of pesto and optional Parmesan crisps. Purple basil is pretty here too!
More recipes you may like:
- 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
Expert Tips:
- If your soup lacks depth, try adding a little white miso paste (whisk 1-3 teaspoons with a little warm water) or a bouillon cube.
- Yogurt and sour cream will add a little tanginess, but if you want more, a few drops of lemon juice or AC vinegar is nice.
- 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 broth to impart depth and richness.
- Add a handful of fresh spinach to the blender to make the green more vibrant.
Enjoy the Soup!
xoxo
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Creamy Broccoli Soup with Pesto
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: soups
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Creamy Broccoli Soup with Pesto 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 white or yellow onion, diced
- 4–6 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 cashew milk, whole milk or half and half)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- handful baby spinach- optional for vibrant color!
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch cayenne (optional)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (feel free to use vegan, or a splash of heavy cream), more to taste.
Garnish: Pesto (store-bought, Homemade Pesto, or Arugula pesto), Parmesan Crisps, Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle
Instructions
- Thinly slice the broccoli stems and break apart the florets into very small pieces. Chop the onion and garlic.
- In a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt, 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.
- Place the broccoli florets over the top. Don’t mix them in. 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.
- Turn the heat off. Blend in two batches (I found using a blender was better here, my immersion blender did not work as well) adding half of the almond milk to each batch, along with the basil. Blend until smooth. Add a handful of spinach for richer color if you like.
- Return the soup to the pot and stir in the yogurt or sour cream or even a splash of heavy cream. Gently warm the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with a swirl of pesto, crusty bread, or Parmesan crips. Enjoy!
Notes
If you like the soup to be extra vibrant green, add a handful of baby spinach to the blender, or extra basil.
If your soup lacks depth, see Expert Tips in the post above. 🙂
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
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!