The rich and creamy broccoli soup you love, made clean!
I am beyond excited about this recipe. This creamy broccoli soup recipe has brought creamy soups back into my life, and reunited me with an old favorite.
Given the choice between a thin, clear broth soup and a thick, creamy bisque or chowder, I think most of us know what we would choose.
Unfortunately, making the swap from creamy soups to clear broth is one of the first rules of any diet. Bye New England clam chowder; nice knowing you broccoli cheddar!
Fortunately, clean eating doesn’t have to be the death of the rich, creamy soups you crave. There are plenty of ways to achieve the thick, hearty consistency of cream based soups without the fat and calories of heavy cream and other dairy.
And for a bonus, these clean alternatives won’t leave you feeling too full and heavy after a nice warm bowl of creamy soup.
Growing up, my mother always tried to cook lighter, broth-based soups. So the first time I ordered a thick, creamy cup of broccoli soup at a restaurant, I was floored. It was so rich and delicious, I couldn’t believe I had been missing out all this time! What was my mom thinking? Why didn’t she make her soup like this?
The reason became clear to me once I got a little older, and ultimately, I was glad for it. Unfortunately, like most delicious things, creamy soups come with a price. A very high calorie toll, we might say. Not to mention, all that cream and dairy can weigh pretty heavy on the digestive system. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still worth the occasional indulgence, but I’ve still always wished thick, creamy soups could be the norm, not the exception.
And now (drumroll please…) they can! With this creamy broccoli soup recipe, rich and delicious soups can finally be part of your clean eating plan.
So, how did I make this soup so rich and creamy without any heavy cream or dairy? The secret is canned coconut milk. This ingredient is a clean eating (and cooking) lifesaver. It can help add flavor and consistency, and makes a great clean substitute in lots of creamy recipes.
But before you even add the coconut milk, this recipe already gets its creamy base from blended broccoli florets. As hard as it may be to believe, broccoli alone can make this soup as rich and creamy as any dairy product.
Just blend the broccoli with salt, pepper, and vegetable broth until creamy. Then, just pour your creamy mixture into a pot, add the coconut milk and heat on medium until hot.
That’s it, this creamy broccoli soup recipe uses just a few ingredients and simple steps to get you perfect, creamy, clean soup. This soup is delicious all on its own, but also tastes great garnished with croutons.
So there you have it. If you thought eating clean meant giving up your favorite creamy soups, you were so wrong. And sometimes it feels pretty good to be wrong.
Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets approximately 1 large head (steam 10 minutes or until fork tender)
- 3 cups vegetable broth no sugar added
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup coconut milk canned
Instructions
- Chop 1/2 cup (steamed) florets and set aside.
- Add the first 4 ingredients to a blender in the order listed, saving the 1/2 cup chopped florets for later. Blend until a creamy consistency.
- Pour soup into a medium pot, add remaining 1/2 cup chopped broccoli, and coconut milk, stir and heat over medium until hot.
- Garnish with whole-grain croutons, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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I am confused.
– Since we are setting aside finely chopped broccoli, do we finely chop the broccoli before measuring the 4 cups? My guess is that we measure the broccoli, steam it, chop it in the blender, remove part of it, then add the remaining 3 ingredients to the blender. However, I would prefer to do the recipe the way you have tested it, at least for my first try.
– Are we setting aside 1/2 cup (instruction 1) or 1 cup (Instruction 2) of the broccoli?
Stuart, Please see the recipe, it should be clear now. 🙂
How do you ge,t 10 one cups servings from this recipe??
Hi Marge, when you blend the broccoli (and later add the florets) it will add some volume to the recipe making it closer to 10 cups.
It’s so easy to make extra creamy soups by adding canned white beans (any canned white beans will work), and/or cooked cauliflower. The beans add protein & fiber; B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, and 126grams of carbs per cup. Cauliflower adds fiber & vitamins B6, K, & C, & folate. Coconut milk contains 421mg carbs per Tablespoon, and none of the vitamins.
Put cooked cauliflower in blender w/broth to puree. You can also puree the white beans along w/the cauliflower, or separately (w/broth) if you don’t want to add cauliflower. I guarantee this is super delicious & creamy. I’d add it to the pureed broccoli (minus coconut milk). Another nice pureed addition would be cooked mushrooms=== adding more flavor & nutrients!! Enjoy!!