Clear Broccoli Soup
Clear broccoli soup is a light, brothy vegan soup made by simmering broccoli with carrot, celery, green beans, onion, and garlic in water, then finishing with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tarragon. It is ready in about half an hour and needs no blending, cream, or stock cubes.
It had been raining for two weeks straight where I live, with the odd flurry of snow in between. I am not against gloomy weather, but I had simply had enough of it.
During days like these, there is only one thing I can think of: hearty soups, warming vegetables, and a bowl that fixes the weather for you. This clear broccoli soup is the one I keep coming back to.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A light, low-calorie soup that still feels like a proper meal
- A quick lunch or starter you can cook in about 30 minutes
- A dairy-free, cream-free way to enjoy broccoli
- A simple way to use up frozen broccoli and green beans straight from the freezer
- A clean, brothy soup when you are recovering from a heavy week of eating
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes — everything goes into one pot and boils for 20 minutes.
- No blending required — this is a clear soup, so you skip the blender and the cleanup.
- Naturally vegan — no cream, butter, or stock cubes, just vegetables and water.
- Freezer-friendly ingredients — frozen broccoli and green beans mean you can make it any time.
- Bright and tangy — apple cider vinegar and tarragon give it a fresh, lifted flavour.
- Light yet filling — it warms you up without weighing you down.
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli florets are the star here. This recipe uses 500 g of frozen florets, which go straight into the pot with no thawing needed. Frozen broccoli holds its shape well in a clear broth and saves you the prep of breaking down a fresh head.
Carrot adds a touch of natural sweetness and colour. You only need half a carrot, chopped into tiny bits so it cooks through in the same time as everything else.
Celery brings a savoury, aromatic backbone to the broth. Use one stalk, thinly sliced, so it softens fully during the 20-minute simmer.
Green beans add a little extra body and bite. A handful of frozen green beans is enough, and like the broccoli they go in straight from the freezer.
Onion and garlic are the flavour base. One diced onion and four sliced garlic cloves infuse the water as it boils, giving the clear broth its depth without any stock.
Tarragon is what makes this soup distinctive. Fresh or pickled tarragon leaves, chopped or left whole, add a gentle anise-like note. If you do not have tarragon, fresh oregano works as a substitute.
Olive oil and apple cider vinegar are stirred in at the end, off the heat. Two tablespoons of olive oil round out the broth, while 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or more, to taste) give the soup its signature tang. Sea salt and pepper finish it.
Tips
- Use a 5L pot and fill it with water so the vegetables have room to move and the broth stays clear.
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and seasonings only after you remove the pot from the heat — this keeps the flavours bright and the broth fresh.
- Boil for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. The carrot pieces are the slowest to cook, so check those.
- Start with 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, then taste and add more if you like it sharper.
- Chop the carrot into tiny bits and slice the celery thinly so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
Substitutions and Variations
- No tarragon? Swap it for fresh oregano, which gives a different but equally fragrant herb note.
- Fresh broccoli works in place of frozen — just cut a head into florets and add it with the other vegetables.
- Adjust the tang by using more or less apple cider vinegar, depending on how sharp you want the broth.
- Add more greens by increasing the green beans or stirring in extra vegetables you need to use up.
Storage and Make Ahead
Let the soup cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. The flavour often deepens overnight as the tarragon and vinegar settle in. Reheat gently on the stove until just hot, and taste again before serving in case it needs another splash of vinegar or a pinch of salt.
Because it is a clear, brothy soup with no cream, it holds up well to make-ahead cooking. If you enjoy this one, try the richer cream of broccoli soup for a cosier version, browse more ideas in our clear soup recipes, or put leftover florets to use with our best vegan broccoli recipes.
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Light Clear Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 500 g broccoli florets frozen
- ½ carrot chopped in tiny bits
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- 1 handful green beans frozen
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- fresh or pickled tarragon leaves chopped or whole (you can replace with fresh oregano if you don’t have tarragon)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or more, to taste
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a 5L pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add all the vegetables (broccoli, carrot, celery, green beans, onion, and garlic), holding back the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, seasonings, and tarragon (or your herb of choice).
- Let everything boil for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and a knife slides easily through the broccoli stems.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tarragon. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear broccoli soup is a light, brothy soup made by simmering broccoli and other vegetables in water without any cream or blending. Unlike cream of broccoli soup, the broth stays clear and the vegetables keep their shape. It is finished with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tarragon for a fresh, tangy flavour.
Yes, this clear broccoli soup is fully vegan. It contains only vegetables, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and herbs, with no dairy, cream, butter, or stock cubes. The broth gets all of its flavour from the onion, garlic, and vegetables that simmer in the water.
Yes, this recipe is designed around frozen broccoli. It uses 500 g of frozen florets that go straight into the pot with no thawing needed. Frozen broccoli holds its shape well in a clear broth, and the green beans can also be added frozen.
The soup takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. You add all the vegetables to a pot of water and boil for 20 minutes, or until soft, then stir in the oil, vinegar, and herbs off the heat. There is no blending step, which keeps it quick.
Apple cider vinegar gives this clear broccoli soup its signature tang and brightness. It is stirred in at the end, off the heat, so the flavour stays fresh. The recipe uses 5 tablespoons, but you can add more or less to taste depending on how sharp you like it.
If you do not have tarragon, fresh oregano is the recommended substitute. Tarragon adds a gentle anise-like note to the broth, while oregano gives a different but equally fragrant herb flavour. Either fresh or pickled tarragon leaves work, chopped or left whole.
Delicious!