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GET IT NOWMy Cream Of Broccoli Soup Recipe Checks All The Best Boxes
This cream of broccoli soup checks all my comfort food boxes. It’s rich, creamy, full of flavor, and doesn’t have any fake thickeners. Here’s why it feels like this soup does it all:
- Thick and creamy, without starches or thickeners – Most cream of broccoli soup recipes rely on flour, cornstarch, or potatoes to thicken them, but not mine! Like my other thick and creamy soups (cauliflower soup, butternut squash soup, tomato soup), this one is naturally thickened by the veggies and reducing the liquid. Cream cheese helps, too. You can even adjust the thickness (check out my tips below).
- So much flavor – This soup has everything: buttery aromatics, tender vegetables, and just enough cream cheese and cream to make it rich. It’s a lot like my broccoli cheddar soup, but more creamy and not cheesy.
- Simple, clean ingredients – Just 7 common ones from any grocery store, plus salt and pepper. And you definitely won’t find any of the processed ingredients the canned stuff has!
- Quick and easy – You can have this creamy broccoli soup on the table in half an hour. Perfect for busy days!
Enjoy it as a light lunch, start your healthy dinner with a warm bowl, or use it in other recipes that call for cans — minus the processed stuff. I love this cream of broccoli soup recipe in all the ways. Grab a big bunch of broccoli and make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my cream of broccoli soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Broccoli – You’ll need 6 cups, so get the biggest bunch you can (or two small ones) and cut it into florets. Or grab pre-cut ones as a shortcut. The broccoli stems are great too, but if you’re using the stalk, peel it to remove the tough parts. You can also use frozen broccoli.
- Aromatics – Onions and garlic! You can even toss in diced carrots and celery for more flavor. You only need half an onion for this recipe, so save the other half to whip up some guacamole, toss it into a stir fry, or add it to one of my healthy salad recipes.
- Unsalted Butter – I like this brand and use it to saute the aromatics, but olive oil works great, too.
- Chicken Broth – You can use homemade chicken broth (it’s the best!), store-bought (you might need to adjust the salt depending on how salty it is), or vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.
- Heavy Cream & Cream Cheese – Both help thicken and make this a super creamy broccoli soup. For a dairy-free version, use full-fat coconut milk and a plant-based cream cheese.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Cream Of Broccoli Soup
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Sauté the aromatics. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven (this is my favorite, shown below) or pot over medium heat. Toss in the onions and garlic. Cook until soft and starting to brown.
- Simmer the soup. Pour in the broth and heavy cream. Add the broccoli. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the broccoli is super soft, stirring occasionally.
- Blend in the cream cheese. Stir it in small pieces first, then use an immersion blender to puree until the mixture is smooth. (See my tips below to adjust the thickness if it’s too thin for you.)
- Enjoy! Season the cream of broccoli soup with salt and pepper to your taste. I like to garnish with a drizzle of olive oil (went a little overboard with it below, ha!), fresh cracked pepper, and a couple reserved broccoli florets.
My Recipe Tips
- It’s normal for the broth not to cover the broccoli florets. It won’t look like a lot, but resist the urge to add more, or your soup will turn out very thin. The broccoli will settle into the liquid as it softens when you simmer it, and you can push it down gently if needed.
- Adjust the amount of broth for the thickness you want. I use 2 1/2 cups for a moderately thick cream of broccoli soup. If you like it extra thick, reduce the amount to 2 cups. If you like it on the thinner side, opt for 3 cups.
- Don’t forget to stir when simmering. The cream can form a film if you don’t stir often enough.
- Cook time can vary — make sure your broccoli gets very soft. For a smooth and creamy broccoli soup texture, you want it softer than if you were boiling or steaming broccoli to actually eat — think almost mushy. The time depends on the size of the florets. I cut them on the smaller side, about 1-inch heads and 2 inches long, so they soften in just around 10 minutes.
- Your cream cheese needs to be very soft, too. Adding it cold can leave bits of cream cheese that resist blending. If you forgot to soften it at room temperature, you can warm it in the microwave to make it melty before adding it to the soup.
- What if your broccoli soup turned out thinner than you wanted? Honestly, the thickness varies depending on how you measure the broccoli, but it’s easy to adjust. Just simmer it very gently after it’s all blended and it’ll reduce more. It will also thicken as it cools from piping hot to warm.
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Don’t have an immersion blender? I adore this immersion blender I got last year, because it makes all my soups silky smooth without the hassle of transfering them, but a regular blender works. Make sure to vent the top to let steam escape!
- Got a smaller bunch of broccoli that isn’t quite 6 cups? You can scale the entire recipe down or just reduce the amount of broth and cream to 2 1/4 cups and 3/4 cup. The amount of liquid is the only part that makes a noticeable difference.
- Want to lighten it up? This soup is gluten-free with clean ingredients, but it’s not low in calories. If you want it lighter, you can replace the cream with half and half, or reduce the amount of cream by 1/2 cup and increase the broth by the same amount. It will be a little thinner, though.
- Can you use it in other recipes? Absolutely! Measure 1 1/4 cups of this homemade version to replace each 10.5-ounce can of cream of broccoli soup in your recipe. Just make sure it’s nice and thick (see my tips above if you need to thicken it more).
- Add protein to make it a meal. Leftover Instant Pot chicken breast, baked chicken breast, crumbled sausage, or diced ham steaks (without the glaze) all make great options. Just make sure your protein is pre-cooked before stirring into this soup.
Cream Of Broccoli Soup (Easy Recipe)
This 30-minute cream of broccoli soup recipe is thick and creamy, without starches or thickeners! Enjoy a cozy bowl or use in other recipes.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced onions and minced garlic, and saute for 4-5 minutes, until the onions are soft and starting to brown.
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Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and broccoli florets. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is very soft.
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Stir in the pieces of cream cheese. Use an immersion blender to blend the cream of broccoli soup until completely smooth. If your soup is too thin, simmer on low, stirring often, to thicken it (but keep in mind it will thicken as it cools from piping hot to warm).
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Season the cream of broccoli soup with salt and pepper to your taste.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the thickness you like, get a silky smooth texture, and prevent a film or chunks of cream cheese. I’ve also got ways to adjust if you don’t have 6 cups of broccoli or want to lighten it up, and instructions to replace canned cream of broccoli soup in recipes.
- Storage & meal prep: Let the soup cool, then pop it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I like to portion it out for easy lunches.
- Reheat: Warm it on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or just microwave it.
- Freeze: This soup has a lot of dairy, so can separate a bit when thawing, but yes, it’s possible to store in the freezer for up to 3 months. After thawing and heating, you’ll need to blend it again to bring back its creamy texture.
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Ways To Use It
This is such a versatile broccoli soup! It’s amazing for lunch or dinner, or you can use it in other recipes:
- Lunch – I love a soup-and-salad lunch! Try this with my chicken Caesar salad, wedge salad or Greek salad. Some flaxseed crackers or almond flour crackers work nicely too, either on the side or crumbled over the soup.
- Dinner – It’s the perfect starter for cozy stuffed sweet potatoes, a sheet pan chicken dinner, or if you’re feeling fancy, steak Diane.
- Casseroles – This cream of broccoli soup will work in just about any casserole recipe that calls for the canned stuff. Sometimes I use it in place of the sauce in my chicken bacon ranch casserole or chicken broccoli casserole.
- Chicken – If you like it saucy, pour the cooled soup over your chicken before baking chicken breasts.
26 Comments
Victoria
1LOVED this recipe. My adult daughter said she was craving Broccoli Cheese Soup, but must eat dairy-free. I modified this one using Oatly full-fat Oatmilk, Chicken Bone Broth, Kite dairy-free Cream Cheese, and a garnish of Violife dairy-free shredded cheddar cheese. It was fabulous!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you loved it, Victoria! Thank you for sharing that it worked well with these dairy-free swaps.
Sherry L Blackwell
1We enjoyed this cheesy broccoli soup on night this week. It was excellent. I don’t have an immersion blender, so I used chopped broccoli instead of the larger florets. This recipe is a keeper. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sherry! I’m glad it still worked out well even without blending it.
Patty Konkol
1This cream of broccoli soup is a keeper! Made it the other night and my husband and I enjoyed it so much. Very tasty and creamy!
Thanks for the recipe!
Patty Konkol
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy to hear that, Patty! You and your husband enjoy!
Lisa Little-Faulk
1DELISH!!!!! I can’t decide if I like the Cream of Asparagus or Cream of Broccoli better as both were creamy and thick and full of flavor!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear you like them both, Lisa! Enjoy!
Laura
0Delicious and soooo easy. Wonderful for a low carb diet!
Wholesome Yum D
0Laura, so happy it was both easy and delicious for you. Always a win when a low carb option fits right in!
Chrismar
0I make this soup yesterday. It is so good. I used reduced fat cream cheese because that is what I had. I put the soup in the vita mix rather than the emersion blender. I just like to use it. I am having it for dinner tonight with some keto bread croutons. This recipe will go into my rotation. It is so satisfying. Thanks for the recipe.
Wholesome Yum D
0Chrismar, I’m really glad it worked so well for you! Those keto bread croutons sound perfect with it. Love that it earned a spot in your rotation, thank you for trying it!
Aly
0Can I use frozen broccoli?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Aly, Yes, frozen broccoli works great, too.
Aly
0Can I use frozen broccoli?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Aly, Yes, definitely! I noted this above.
John Spangler
0Made this last night and it was great!!!!! Didn’t have heavy cream so used milk and melted butter. Also left mine a little chunky.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, John! Thank you for sharing how you made it.
John D
0I made this for a group at a small church meeting. I did add some cooked diced chicken to add more protein. However, that did not change the taste. My wife felt it was a bit grainy (Immersion blender). I may let it cool next time, then add it to my heating BlendTec blender. And then reheat when needed.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi John, The smoothness can vary depending on your blender, so if yours is not very powerful like mine, I agree with you that the Blendtec will work better. Adding chicken is a great idea.
Joan Ballanger
0I made this yesterday. There was enough for the two of us to eat another day. The flavor was good. I did add extra black pepper. We love that flavor. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, Joan! Yes, black pepper is a matter of taste and feel free to add as much as you like.
debra lois brown
0Loved it so easy. Didn’t put in cream cheese or heavy cream but did put in can of cream of chicken and used almond milk. Yummy
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m happy you liked it, Debra! Thanks for sharing your variation.
Judy M
0Can this be made dairy free, by using coconut cream instead of heavy cream? I already have a sub for the cream cheese that’s good. It looks like the equivalent of a 6 cups of broccoli would be more than 2 pounds. Does that sound right? I don’t know what to buy. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judy, Yes, absolutely! As long as your alternative cream cheese melts well, you can make this recipe dairy free with those 2 swaps. I’m so sorry, I didn’t weigh my bunches of broccoli before making this, but 2 bunches (not heads but whole bunches, where a bunch usually has 2 medium-large heads or 3 small ones) should definitely get you what you enough florets to get 6 cups. Depending on their size, you might have extra left over to use for another recipe. Hope this helps!