Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup (20 Minutes, Vegan)
This cream of broccoli soup is smooth, mildly garlicky, and ready in 20 minutes. It uses broccoli, potatoes, onion, garlic, and nutritional yeast, blended together into a silky puree. Fresh or frozen broccoli both work. The key technique is to drain the cooked vegetables first, blend them without water into a thick paste, and then add the cooking water gradually. This prevents the foam and grainy texture that blenders produce when liquid is added too early, and gives you a consistently smooth result every time.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A fast weeknight soup that is ready in 20 minutes
- A way to use frozen broccoli from the freezer
- A vegan soup with no cream or dairy
- A mild, child-friendly vegetable soup that does not taste strongly of broccoli
- A light but filling meal for cold-weather days
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 20 minutes with minimal prep
- Works with frozen broccoli, no defrosting needed
- Fully vegan, no cream or dairy
- Silky smooth texture using a simple blending technique
- Mild garlic flavor that works for kids and adults
- Nutritional yeast adds a subtle depth without being overpowering
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli. Fresh or frozen both work here. If using frozen, add it directly to the pot without defrosting. Fresh broccoli gives a slightly greener color and firmer texture before blending. Either way, the blended result is similar. For more ways to cook with broccoli, the 10 best vegan broccoli recipes on Gourmandelle covers soups, patties, and salads.
Potatoes. One medium potato added to the pot gives the soup its creamy body without needing dairy or cream. It thickens naturally as it blends with the broccoli. Peel and dice it small so it cooks at the same rate as the broccoli.
Nutritional yeast (nooch). Adds a savory, slightly cheesy depth to the soup without any dairy. If you have never used it before, start with 2 tablespoons and taste before adding more. It dissolves completely into the soup during blending.
Garlic. Three to four cloves gives a noticeable but not sharp garlic taste once cooked. Sauté the garlic briefly with the onion before adding the other vegetables to soften its flavor.
Tips
Drain first, blend dry, then add water gradually. This is the most important technique for silky creamy soups. After cooking, drain the vegetables and save the cooking water in a bowl. Blend the drained vegetables alone first, turning them into a thick paste. Then add the cooking water little by little until you reach the consistency you want. Blending with water already in the pot creates foam and a slightly grainy texture.
Do not boil after blending. Once the soup is blended and back in the pot, warm it gently over medium-low heat. Boiling a blended soup causes it to separate and lose its smooth texture.
Season at the end. Salt changes how the soup tastes once blended. Add salt and pepper after blending and tasting, not during cooking.
Substitutions and Variations
Add coconut milk. Replace some of the cooking water with canned coconut milk for a richer, slightly sweet version. Full-fat coconut milk works best. Use 100ml and reduce the cooking water accordingly.
Add lemon. A squeeze of lemon juice stirred in after blending brightens the flavor and balances the earthiness of the broccoli. Start with half a lemon and adjust.
Spicy version. Add a pinch of chili flakes or a small piece of fresh chili with the garlic for a warm, spicy broccoli soup. Blend it in with everything else.
Storage and Make Ahead
Fridge: Keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or vegetable stock if it has thickened in the fridge.
Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely before freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly, stirring as it warms. The texture remains smooth after thawing.
For more creamy soup recipes, the collection on Gourmandelle includes versions with potato and carrot, peas, carrot and ginger, and sweet potato.
Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 kg broccoli frozen
- 3 potatoes medium, cubed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion medium
- 3 Tbsps nutritional yeast flakes
- olive oil to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- mixed seeds for topping
Instructions
- Add the broccoli, potatoes, and onion into a pot and boil until soft – about 20 minutes.
- Drain the water into a bowl and put the veggies in a blender. Add the garlic cloves, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast and blend until smooth. Add the water, little by little, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Top with some mixed seeds and drizzle with olive oil.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Add the frozen broccoli directly to the pot without defrosting first. It will cook in the same time as fresh broccoli, around 10 to 12 minutes at a gentle simmer. The blended result is indistinguishable from fresh broccoli soup.
This usually happens when liquid is blended along with the vegetables from the start. The fix is to drain the cooked vegetables first, blend them dry into a thick paste, and then add the cooking water back gradually. This produces a smooth, foam-free result every time.
Yes. The recipe contains no dairy or cream. The creaminess comes from the blended potatoes and broccoli. Nutritional yeast adds a savory depth. The full recipe is 100% vegan and plant-based.
Control the thickness by how much cooking water you add during blending. Add less for a thick, spoonable soup and more for a lighter, drinkable consistency. For extra thickness without adding more vegetables, include a second small potato during cooking.
Yes. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. It is a good meal prep soup because it reheats well and the flavor improves slightly after a day as the garlic and nutritional yeast meld together.
Just made the recipe! Love it! Great website and lovely recipes.
Yay! Thank you, Claudia! 😀
Question: How many cups of frozen broccoli would 1kg be?
Thanks!
Hi, Hanna! I think 6 cups.