We probably all remember Cream of Broccoli Soup, and likely it was Campbell's canned version at home that we remember best. I haven't had Campbell's soup in years, but I can remember so well the jiggle of the can, the splat sound that the gelatinous soup made when it hit the pot, the irresistible saltiness and creamy mouth-feel of the soup.
I've been tinkering for a long time with this recipe, trying to get it to taste like my childhood canned soup. Well it doesn't taste like that, but maybe that's a good thing! This vegan version is satisfyingly creamy, and with just five wholesome ingredients, I can promise it's good for you!
I love using an avocado for this soup, but sometimes they're not perfectly ripe, or sometimes they're just too darn expensive! In that case, substitute with a potato. You can use any kind of potato, but if it's a red-skinned potato, peel it first. Potato skins are just as nutritious as the potato itself, so I do prefer to have white or brown skinned potatoes around and skip peeling them. Bonus: one less step!
If you don't have vegetable stock handy, use oat milk instead, or just water is fine too.
Makes 2 large bowls
VEGAN CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP
🥦 1 Small head of fresh broccoli
🥦 1 Sweet onion
🥦 2 Stalks of celery
🥦 1 Clove garlic
🥦 1 Avocado OR 1 potato
🥦 Vegetable stock (optional)
There's only one fussy thing to do for this soup: separate the little teeny florets from the stalks. We're going to cook these separately.
In a soup pot, sauté your onion in a little olive oil. Add the garlic, then the celery. (Everything should be sliced/chopped coarsely).
Add the broccoli stalks. If you're using a POTATO, add it now, chopped. Next, add your liquid, whether it's stock, milk, or water. We only need enough to cover the broccoli stalks. Let it come to a boil, cover, and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Once the broccoli stalks (and potato, if using) are very soft, it's time to blend.
If you are using the AVOCADO instead of the potato, put it peeled and pitted into the blender now. Pour the hot mixture over and blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, put the little florets that you have reserved with a bit of liquid (just enough to cover) into the soup pot. Cook gently for at least five minutes, or just until tender. We want to keep its bright green colour and not fall apart.
Pour the blender contents back into the pot and stir everything together. If you find that it's too thick, just add a bit more liquid and bring back up to temperature.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
100% vegan, unbelievably creamy, and all good for you.
I could eat soup every day, all year-round. But these cloudy quarantine days really have me craving a hot bowl of creamy comfort three times a day. We now have several vegan soup recipes on this site, and if you click the "soup" tag at the top of this post, they'll all come up. Enjoy! 🤗