This easy creamy broccoli soup is rich, comforting and topped with crispy shallots. It’s also paleo, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan.
The text in the original post (which I’ve deleted) talked all about how much broccoli we eat in our house.
A lot has changed in the last 5 years since I first posted this creamy broccoli soup but, our broccoli consumption is not one of them.
Note: This post first appeared on October 25, 2011. The recipe has been slightly edited, photography updated (thank goodness because it was pretty horrific before) and now includes 5other healthy soups perfect for fall from some of my blogging friends. Enjoy!
You can find a huge bag of organic broccoli florets (awesome score at BJs) constantly in our freezer as back up vegetable but to be honest, it hardly gets used because there are pretty much always, at minimum, at least 2 heads of broccoli in our refrigerator as well.
When it does, however, you can bet I’m making air fryer frozen broccoli with it 99% of the time.
I seriously have never understood that kid aversion to this magnificent vegetable because I love it so much.
And while I’m happy to eat it every way from asimple steam with a squeeze of lemon to roasted to even riced, sometimes I go all out and make this creamy vegan broccoli soup.
It’s been a long time favorite because it’s just seriously so easy and the best part is the ingredient list.
It’s healthy AF, guys.
But before we get into this soup, let’s take a look at what everyone else brought to the table!
Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup (Vegan, Paleo) – Cotter Crunch
This Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup is one flavorful and healthy soup to keep you warm this season.
An easy soup recipe for a nutritious meal-in-a-bowl. Paleo, vegan, and Whole30 friendly!
Thai Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup – Food Faith Fitness
This crock pot chicken noodle soup has a Thai spin!
It uses butternut squash noodles to keep it gluten free, paleo friendly and under 300 calories and 3 SmartPoints! A low-carb option is included!
Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup with Kale – Fit Foodie Finds
Chicken Tortilla Soup never got easier AND HEALTHIER!
Throw everything in your crock-pot and you’ve got dinner ready before you know it!
Slow Cooker Sausage Kale Soup – Eating Bird Food
Come home to a warm and comforting meal with this slow cooker sausage kale soup!
It’s packed with flavor and a breeze to whip up.
Green Chile Vegetable Soup – Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
This Green Chile Vegetable Soup is light, flavorful, and packed with hearty veggies! It’s the perfect meatless soup to keep you warm all season long!
Customize this soup with your favorite veggies, beans, and/or gluten-free pasta, too!
They’re all so cozy and perfect for fall, aren’t they?
The way this creamy broccoli soup is written in the directions, it’s both vegan and paleo.
That said, of course you can use regular flour and milk if you’d like and it’d still be an amazingly delicious healthy bowl (and still vegetarian).
It reminds me a lot of this creamy garlic Brussels sprout soup (which might be eveneasier because it’s made entirely in the microwave and blender!) just with broccoli in the place of Brussels sprouts.
Vegan Broccoli Soup Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- large onion, chopped
- paleo baking flour(or arrowroot starch or gluten-free flour)
- vegetable stock
- broccoli florets — see our guide to cutting broccoli for this step
- cumin
- thyme
- nutmeg
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- almond milk (or other nut milk)
FOR THE SHALLOTS
- extra virgin olive oil
- large shallot
How to Make Simple Creamy Broccoli Soup
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Sauté the onions until soft.
Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Slowly pour in the veggie stock and bring to a simmer.
Add the spices and broccoli. Cook until the broccoli is soft or about 40 minutes.
Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the pot). Add the milk and puree until smooth.
Season with more salt and pepper, and garnish with the crispy shallots.
To Make the Shallots:
The crispy shallot topping is something you don’t want to skip.
It brings a bit of texture to the otherwise completely creamy soup and a pop of flavor both from the sweetness of the shallots and the olive oil they’re crisped in.
Cook the thinly sliced shallots in a pan with olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
Tips for Making
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, transfer the cooled soup to a freezer safe bag or container. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warm.
- Souper cubes are great for keeping soup in the freezer and are convenient to use!
- If you want a chunky soup, steam a little extra broccoli and stir it in just before serving.
- For a vegan cheesy flavor, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast.
- You can even toss in a few carrots or zucchini if you want to sneak in extra veggies.
- Like spicy? Add a dash or two of red pepper flakes.
Common FAQs
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Sure can! Because it’s going to be blended, it doesn’t matter. Once you puree the soup, you may need less milk since frozen broccoli has more moisture.
Can I make vegetarian broccoli soup in the crock pot?
Follow the instructions for sautéing the onion and stirring in the flour. Transfer and add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Then blend and serve as usual.
Love this creamy broccoli soup with crispy shallots recipe?
This one will be on rotation all season long, along with Italian tomato pasta soupand cinnamon ginger kabocha squash soup. Think I’ll be covered on the comforting soup front with those three!
4.72 from 7 votes
Creamy Broccoli Soup with Crispy Shallots
By: Gina Matsoukas
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Save
This easy vegan creamy broccoli soup is rich, comforting and topped with crispy shallots. It's also gluten free and paleo!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons paleo baking flour paleo baking flour, or arrowroot starch or gluten-free flour
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other nut milk
For the shallots
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Instructions
For soup
In a large dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add onions and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Add flour, stir and cook for another minute.
Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.
Add broccoli, cumin, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook covered under low-medium heat for about 35-40 minutes until broccoli is soft.
Remove from heat and ladle into a blender (alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree)
Add almond milk and blend until smooth.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Garnish with crispy shallots and serve hot.
For crispy shallots
Heat olive oil in small pan, add shallots and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, careful not to burn.
Remove shallots from the pan to a paper towel and let drain.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 847mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Soups + Stews
Cuisine: American
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Gina Matsoukas
Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
