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.
Yields: 10 cups | Serving Size: 1 cup | Calories: 53 | Total Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 80mg | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Protein: 1g | SmartPoints (Freestyle): 2
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 canned coconut milk
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.
- Note: If a Vitamix is available, add ingredients and turn to the soup setting. Blend for 5 minutes or until hot. Lastly add the coconut milk and pulse just until blender. Stir in the 1/2 cup chopped florets and serve.
For more deliciously clean soup recipes, check out our 15 Soups and Stews for Cozy Evenings.
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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.