Creamy Broccoli Herb Soup

This creamy broccoli soup is made with simple whole-food ingredients. Blended zucchini creates a silky texture, while fresh herbs and white miso add plenty of flavor—all without dairy or oil. It’s an easy and delicious way to enjoy more cruciferous vegetables and pairs beautifully with a hearty salad.

Broccoli is the star here, with zucchini and unsweetened plant milk working together to create a smooth, creamy texture. I especially like using my Homemade Walnut Hemp Milk, which has a mild flavor that works beautifully without competing with the broccoli and fresh herbs.

This is also a great soup to make ahead. It keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and freezes beautifully, so you can store individual portions in the freezer for an easy lunch or dinner another day.

Watch How Easy It Is to Make

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Packed with vegetables. With 7–8 cups of broccoli plus zucchini, each bowl delivers a generous serving of vegetables.

• Uses broccoli stems. The tender stems go right into the soup along with the florets, helping reduce food waste.

• Easy to customize. Adjust the parsley and basil to suit your taste or use just one of them.

• Makes multiple servings. The recipe makes about six servings, so you’ll have enough for another meal or to freeze for later.

Creamy Broccoli Herb Soup

Servings: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20–25 minutes
Total time: About 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 7–8 cups chopped broccoli florets and tender stems

• 1 medium zucchini, chopped

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 cup unsweetened plain plant milk, such as Homemade Walnut Hemp Milk or soy milk

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons white miso

• ¾ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

• ¼ cup packed fresh basil

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Garnishes

• Chopped fresh parsley or basil

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Add the onion to a large soup pot with a splash of vegetable broth or water. Cook over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

2. Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.

3. Add the broccoli, zucchini, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.

4. Stir in the plant milk, nutritional yeast, and white miso.

5. Add the parsley and basil. Blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender, or carefully transfer the soup in batches to an upright blender.

6. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

7. Serve warm with your choice of optional garnishes.

Karen’s Notes

Don’t toss the broccoli stems. Peel away any tough outer layer before chopping them. The tender interior cooks along with the florets and blends smoothly into the finished soup.

Adjust the herbs to your taste. I like the combination of ¾ cup parsley and ¼ cup basil, but the proportions don’t have to be exact. You can use more of one and less of the other, or use all parsley or all basil depending on what you have and the flavor you prefer. I used fresh parsley harvested from my Tower Garden for this batch.

For extra flavor: If you have T/T available, you can use it in place of 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or freeze for longer storage.

Why Include Cruciferous Vegetables?

Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, along with kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and collard greens, to name a few. While all vegetables provide beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals, cruciferous vegetables contain unique plant compounds that have been studied for their potential health benefits.

Broccoli is especially known for sulforaphane, a plant compound that has been widely studied for its potential cancer-protective effects and other health-promoting properties. That’s one reason I make a point of including cruciferous vegetables regularly, and this soup is an easy way to enjoy a generous serving of broccoli.

Pairs Well With

This creamy soup pairs especially well with my Winter Harvest Bowl. The crisp vegetables and hearty greens in the bowl are a nice contrast to the smooth soup and turn the two recipes into a satisfying meal.

Try the Winter Harvest Bowl →

Make the Plant Milk at Home

If you’d like to make the plant milk I use in this soup, my Homemade Walnut Hemp Milk takes just a few ingredients and works well anywhere you need an unsweetened, creamy plant milk.

Get the Homemade Walnut Hemp Milk recipe →

This is the kind of soup I enjoy having on hand—lots of vegetables, plenty of flavor, and easy to make ahead for another meal. I hope it gives you another delicious way to enjoy broccoli and include more nutrient-dense vegetables in your day.

If you make it, I’d love to hear what you think!

Here’s to simple, nourishing food — one recipe at a time. 🌱

Karen
Vertical Hydroponic Garden