Creamy Broccoli Soup with Croutons (Printable)
Smooth, creamy broccoli blended to perfection and topped with crispy golden croutons for textural contrast and satisfaction.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 large head broccoli (about 17.6 oz), cut into florets
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
→ Liquids
05 - 3.75 cups vegetable broth
06 - 3/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream
→ Seasonings
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional
→ Croutons
11 - 3 slices day-old bread, cubed
12 - 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until softened, approximately 3 minutes.
02 - Add broccoli florets and diced potato to the pot. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to soften vegetables slightly.
03 - Pour vegetable broth into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
04 - While soup simmers, heat butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes and toss continuously until golden and crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with parsley if desired.
05 - Remove pot from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth and velvety. Alternatively, work in batches with a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in milk or cream. Return to low heat and warm gently without boiling. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using.
07 - Ladle soup into serving bowls and top generously with warm croutons. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The soup achieves that perfect silky texture without using heavy cream, so you can feel good about going back for seconds.
- Those homemade buttery croutons add such delightful texture contrast that my family actually fights over the last few crispy morsels.
02 -
- If using a regular blender, fill it only halfway and remove the center cap from the lid, covering with a kitchen towel instead to prevent a hot soup explosion.
- Adding the milk after blending, never before, prevents it from separating during the hot blending process, a lesson I learned the hard way.
03 -
- Save the broccoli stems, peel them, and add them to the soup for extra flavor and less waste, something my budget-conscious mother taught me.
- For the absolute smoothest texture, pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the milk, an extra step that makes this humble soup restaurant-worthy.