Healthy broccoli soup

Ingredients

• 1 mediumonion
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 500 gbroccoli
• 15 mlmild olive oil
• 10 mldried celery leaves
• 15 gfresh basil
• 1reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
• 750 mlboiling water
• to tasteblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   Cut the onion into chunks and finely chop the garlic. Separate the broccoli into florets and slice the stalk.

2. 2

   Soften the onion

   Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently over a low heat for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the stock

   Add the broccoli, dried celery leaves, basil leaves, stock cube and boiling water. Bring the soup to the boil.

4. 4

   Simmer the soup

   Turn the heat down, cover the pan and simmer gently for 12 minutes.

5. 5

   Blend until smooth

   Take the pan off the heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Season with black pepper to taste.

What is broccoli soup?

Broccoli soup is a blended vegetable soup in which cooked broccoli forms the main flavour and gives the bowl its green colour. Versions vary widely, but this one keeps the ingredient list simple and uses basil and dried celery leaves for extra savoury, herbal notes.

The method works by gently softening onion and garlic before simmering everything together. Blending at the end makes the broccoli and its stalk part of a smooth soup rather than leaving separate pieces.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 85 calories, 4g protein, 4g carbs, 5g fat.

The broccoli and onion provide most of the carbohydrates, while the olive oil supplies most of the fat; the vegetables and stock contribute a modest amount of protein. Pair a bowl with a protein-rich topping or side, such as an egg or beans, for a more substantial meal.

Make the most of the broccoli

Florets and stalk: use both parts of the broccoli. Slice the stalk so it cooks along with the florets, rather than leaving it in larger, firmer pieces.

Even pieces: keep the florets and stalk slices fairly similar in size. This helps them become tender at around the same time during the 12-minute simmer.

Build flavour gently

Onion and garlic: cook them over a low heat for the stated 1 minute, stirring so they soften without taking on much colour. This gives the soup a mellow base.

Herbs: the dried celery leaves go in with the boiling water, while the basil leaves simmer with the vegetables. Adding them before blending distributes their flavour throughout the soup.

Check the simmer

Gentle heat: once the soup reaches the boil, lower the heat and keep the lid on. A quiet simmer cooks the broccoli without rapidly reducing the liquid.

Tenderness: after 12 minutes, check that a piece of broccoli stalk is soft enough to blend smoothly. If it is still firm, continue cooking briefly before blending.

Blend for a smooth finish

Blend off the heat, as directed, and keep the hand blender submerged to limit splashes. Move it around the pan until no noticeable chunks remain.

Season last: the reduced-salt stock cube still contributes seasoning, so taste the finished soup before adding black pepper. The recipe specifies pepper for seasoning, rather than additional salt.

Serve it simply

Croutons: the description suggests homemade croutons, which bring a crisp contrast to the smooth soup. Add them just before serving so they do not soften in the bowl.

For a fuller meal, serve the soup with bread or alongside a sandwich. Keep any accompaniments separate until serving to preserve their texture.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the broccoli stalk so it softens along with the florets.
• Keep the heat low while cooking the onion and garlic to avoid browning them.
• Use boiling water as listed to bring the soup to the boil promptly.
• Blend only after taking the pan off the heat, as the method directs.
• Add homemade croutons at the table so they stay crisp.

Variations

• Extra basil: add a few more basil leaves before blending for a more pronounced herbal flavour.
• Chunkier texture: blend briefly and leave some small pieces of broccoli intact.
• Crouton topping: serve with homemade croutons, as suggested in the description.
• Pepper finish: grind black pepper over each bowl just before serving.
• Broccoli stalk: slice the stalk thinly and include it with the florets to use the whole vegetable.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Large stalk pieces: they may stay firm while the florets soften; slice the stalk before cooking.
• High heat for the onion: it can brown before softening; keep the pan over a low heat.
• Skipping the lid: the soup may lose liquid as it simmers; cover the pan for the 12-minute cook.
• Blending too soon: firm broccoli can leave a coarse texture; check that the stalk is tender first.
• Overseasoning early: the stock cube is already seasoned; taste before adding pepper or any extra salt.

How to store

Cool the soup promptly and store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until steaming hot, stirring occasionally; blend again briefly if the texture has separated. Store croutons separately.

Frequently asked questions