A decadent bowl of creamy and healthy goodness, ready in just 30 minutes!
The recent cold snap across the U.S. has left my household shivering. Our desert abode has been stuck in the single digits at night all week, and all of us here could use a big pot of warmth from the kitchen. Grab your spoon and buckle up; it’s time for a hearty soup recipe.
This broccoli-potato soup combines all my favorite flavors, and it’s thick enough to “stick to your ribs,” as my grandma used to say. The starchy potatoes and fibrous broccoli stems are first boiled together with sautéed onions and garlic, then puréed with an immersion blender to create the thick soup base. From there, the broccoli florets are added and softened with a quick simmer, and after the Parmesan cheese goes in—voilà—you have a soup that delivers warmth in the depths of winter.
This dish is simple enough to whip up in half an hour, and the minimal ingredients in this recipe are a stroke of genius. It dodges the use of flour or cornstarch as a thickener and instead relies on puréed potatoes for the task. The strong flavor of Parmesan cheese means that a little goes a long way toward getting that cheesy flavor everyone loves in a broccoli soup. And the best part? It’s so healthy, you won’t feel guilty about a second helping.
Is This Broccoli-Potato Soup Healthy?
Broccoli is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while potatoes provide lots of potassium. Potatoes have a bad reputation, but they’re only unhealthy when you fry them or cover them in unhealthy ingredients! This recipe can quite easily fit into vegan diets by simply swapping out the butter for a vegan alternative, substituting the chicken broth for a vegetable stock, and using vegan cheese or nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.
Set Up For Success
By far, the hardest part about this recipe is chopping vegetables. One way to make things easier for yourself in the kitchen is to always have your ingredients and equipment cleaned and prepped beforehand, especially with a vegetable-based dish like this.
The French term “mise en place”—which means “set up,” or gather and put in place—is the phrase to keep in mind here. If you commit to setting everything up beforehand—in other words, clearing your cooking area, washing your produce, having a towel nearby, stashing your kitchen knife where you can reach it, placing your cutting board, and gathering all the necessary ingredients—the rest of the process is just a matter of assembly and letting the ingredients work their magic. It only takes a few minutes of dedicated thought to make laborious kitchen tasks a little easier.
How To Make Ahead And Store
To make ahead and save the soup for another day, prepare as directed and let the soup come to room temperature before sealing in airtight containers and storing in the refrigerator. The soup will keep for up to 5 days, unless you eat it all before then.
Serving Suggestions
Your work in the kitchen is done, and the soup is ready to be devoured. What should you serve it with? I’d recommend this Keto Almond Flour Bread to start with, and if your soup is acting as a first course, maybe follow up with something like this Crispy Air-Fryer Breaded Chicken. This recipe also works well for lunch, making a classic combination with a sandwich such as this BLT Sandwich. Whatever the occasion, have a bowl and savor the flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 3/4 pounds broccoli stems and florets separated
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes cubed
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic, diced broccoli stems, and cubed potatoes. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes and broccoli stems are tender, approximately 10 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the soup in the pot until it reaches a smooth consistency with some texture remaining. Alternatively, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender and purée.
- Return the puréed soup to the pot if using a blender. Add the broccoli florets to the soup and simmer until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in half of the grated Parmesan cheese until well combined. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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