Cream of Broccoli Soup

Name: Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cream and Parmesan
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Broccoli 1 kg; Cream (30–33%) 200 ml; Water for boiling a few liters; Salt 0.5 tsp for the water and to taste in the soup (3 g); Sugar 1 tsp for the water and a pinch in the soup, optional (5 g); Dried aromatic herbs 0.5 tsp; Black pepper a few peppercorns, plus to taste before serving; Parmesan (grated) or butter 1 heaped tbsp or a small piece, optional (10 g); Bread for croutons (preferably Tuscan whole-wheat bread) for serving; Basil a sprig per bowl

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30 mins

As a lover of thick first courses, I really enjoyed this cream of broccoli soup with spices, Parmesan and tiny croutons. First, it is very tasty: the dish turns out delicate and beautiful, thanks to the pleasant green tint of the broccoli. Second, it is very easy to make: the broccoli is briefly boiled and puréed. And third, it is filling thanks to the Parmesan and cream.

We usually make thick puréed soups: the vegetables are boiled and blended. Meat and fish can be added to them too. Our favorite thick soups at home are made from potatoes and, of course, the delicious split pea soup with smoked pork ribs. True, we don’t blend the peas but cook them down to a purée. Soup from puréed green peas is a topic of its own, but it is made in season.

By and large, a cream soup differs from a purée soup only by the addition of milk cream or cream. This adds richness, improves the flavor and makes the dish very smooth. A little butter is often added to such soups to round out the taste. Though if you use natural heavy cream, extra butter is unnecessary.

In French cuisine, crème fraîche is a very common ingredient in many dishes. It is fresh cream, usually around 20% fat, although there are variants. It is made by culturing, resembles sour cream and has a faint tang. In stores you can buy a plain product as well as versions with herbs, garlic and so on. Most often it goes into thick soups and sauces. There are versions with double the fat.

To avoid hunting for crème fraîche or making it yourself, it is better to use ready-made natural cream with 30–33% fat. It is sold in small packs, which is convenient for cooking.

Along with white cabbage, broccoli is a product of centuries of selection and the ancestor of cauliflower. It was first bred in Italy and for a long time was known only there. For puréed soups, use only the very top of the green florets. They are usually steamed, though you can boil them in water: literally 5–10 mins. Boiled florets blend easily into a purée in which small grains can still be felt.

More with broccoli

Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Soup

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Thick Vegetable Soup with Broccoli

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Miso Soup with Broccoli and Tofu

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Diet Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

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Broccoli Soup with Chicken Broth

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the soup
Broccoli 1 kg
Cream (30–33%) 200 ml
Water for boiling a few liters
Salt 0.5 tsp for the water and to taste in the soup (3 g)
Sugar 1 tsp for the water and a pinch in the soup, optional (5 g)
Dried aromatic herbs 0.5 tsp
Black pepper a few peppercorns, plus to taste before serving
Parmesan (grated) or butter 1 heaped tbsp or a small piece, optional (10 g)
For serving
Bread for croutons (preferably Tuscan whole-wheat bread) for serving
Basil a sprig per bowl

Step-by-step recipe

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How to boil the broccoli

For the cream of broccoli soup to be tasty and delicate, the broccoli must be young. It is easy to tell by the color: a hint of yellow means the seeds are starting to ripen.
Prepare the broccoli. Soak the florets in cold water beforehand to get rid of any insects; unfortunately, they can be there. Cut the florets off the stalks, discarding any that have started to turn yellow. You can leave a short stem of 1–1.5 cm.
Boil the broccoli with the spices. You can steam it. If that is inconvenient, just pour a few liters of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add 0.5 tsp of salt (3 g) and 1 tsp of sugar (5 g) to the water; this reduces the loss of color while the broccoli cooks.
Put 0.5 tsp of dried aromatic herbs and a few black peppercorns, crushed with the flat of a knife, into a piece of clean cloth or a sachet bag. Drop the bag of spices and the florets into the water as it comes to a boil and cook over low heat, covered, for 8–10 mins, until soft.

How to make the soup

Blend the broccoli into a purée. Don’t pour off all the liquid from the pot; keep 300–400 ml, since you may need to thin the soup if it turns out too thick. Drain the rest of the water and discard the bag of spices. Carefully blend all the boiled broccoli with an immersion blender. If needed, you can add 1–2 small ladles of the cooking liquid to the blender. The purée should be as smooth as possible, but you should still feel barely noticeable bits of broccoli.
Thin and salt the purée. Pour all the broccoli purée into a pot. If it is very thick, add some of the cooking liquid. The final consistency should resemble thick sour cream, and the mass should pour slowly off a spoon. Salt the soup to taste; if you like, add a pinch of sugar, since many people enjoy the slightly sweet taste of this soup.
Bring the soup to a boil and cook with the cream. Set the pot with the purée over low heat. The mass is thick and comes to a boil slowly, but it needs stirring from time to time so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once it boils, add the heavy cream and stir. The soup will immediately turn lighter but keep a pleasant greenish tint. Cook, stirring, for 2–3 mins.
For a change of flavor, add a heaped tablespoon of grated Parmesan (10 g) or a similar hard cheese, or a piece of butter instead. Then cook the cream of broccoli soup for another 2–3 mins and remove from the heat.

How to make the croutons

Make the croutons while the soup is cooking. It is best to use fresh Tuscan whole-wheat bread. We make croutons much like these for the tomato salad panzanella.
Cut the bread into small cubes and fry in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp and golden.

Serving

Ladle the soup into bowls and add 1 tbsp of croutons and a sprig of fresh green basil.
Serve the soup only hot and don’t reheat it. I recommend adding pepper right before the meal; it sets off the flavor of the broccoli while the soup stays very delicate.

Calories and macros

165 kcal

Serving ≈ 280 g

Protein7 g17% of kcal
Fat11 g60% of kcal
Carbs10 g24% of kcal

100 g60 kcalProtein 2.4 gFat 3.9 gCarbs 3.5 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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