Enjoy this healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup made in the Instant Pot or Stovetop in less than 30 minutes. This delicious comfort soup can now be guilt-free with this plant-based, vegan & gluten-free recipe. Perfect for a quick, satisfying lunch or dinner!
I love making soups. You might have guessed, as the last few recipes I shared have all been soups. The latest two were so good - Butternut Squash Soup & Vegan Cauliflower Soup. And guess what? My husband liked this Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup more than both.
If you are looking for an Instant Pot Vegetarian Soup recipe, this Cream of Broccoli Soup should be on the must-try list!
This soup does not require many ingredients or much preparation. It is easy to make, whether in the pressure cooker or on the stovetop. We love this easy, comforting soup that is also nutritious.
Broccoli is a favorite in our house. We enjoy it in many ways - Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli, Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, and this Broccoli Cheddar Soup is amazing!
Jump to:
- Is Cream of Broccoli Soup healthy?
- Why you will love this vegetarian soup?
- Broccoli Soup Ingredients
- How to Make Instant Pot Cream of Broccoli Soup?
- Stovetop Method
- How to thicken Cream of Broccoli Soup?
- What to serve with Cream of Broccoli soup?
- How to Store Cream of Broccoli Soup?
- Common Questions
- More Vegan Soup Recipes:
- Cream of Broccoli Soup (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Is Cream of Broccoli Soup healthy?
A resounding yes for this recipe! You will find all fresh and clean ingredients in this recipe - broccoli, onions, carrots, cashews, vegetable broth and coconut milk. This cream of broccoli soup is just 265 calories for a single serving.
I made this a dairy-free cream of broccoli soup, with the addition of cashews and coconut milk to make it creamy. I skipped traditional cream in this recipe, but if you like you can always substitute that for coconut milk.
I don't add any cheese to this Cream of Broccoli soup as it is already so creamy with the cashews and coconut milk. However, if you want to make it nut free, you can add cheese (or vegan cheese) in place of cashews too. Another option is to use potatoes to thicken the soup.
Why you will love this vegetarian soup?
√ Vegan & gluten-free
√ Made from healthy nourishing ingredients
√ Takes less than 30 minutes to make
√ Easy to make in the instant pot/pressure cooker
√ Packed with flavor
√ It stores well and can be frozen
There are very minimal ingredients for this recipe and all of them are easily available.
Broccoli Soup Ingredients
Broccoli: The star ingredient of this recipe. Choose fresh dark green broccoli. If you are short on time, you can use pre-cut broccoli from the store. This soup can also be made with half cauliflower and half broccoli.
Oil or Butter: I used olive oil when making this soup. But feel free to use butter if you prefer.
Garlic & Onions: These aromatics add depth of flavor to this soup.
Carrots: They add nutrition and also help to make the soup thick. You can add other veggies such as celery or potato too.
Cashews: As we are making a vegan broccoli soup, I like to add some cashews to make the soup thicker and add extra nutrition. You can leave these out if you prefer a nut-free soup.
Broth: I used vegetable broth. Feel free to use any broth you prefer and have it easily available. I also like to use Better Than Bouillon to make the broth. It is easy to have this in the refrigerator and make broth whenever needed for a recipe.
Coconut Milk: This is a great finishing touch to make the soup creamy. If you are not vegan, you can use heavy cream or add a roux to the soup.
How to Make Instant Pot Cream of Broccoli Soup?
This soup is easy to make with just a few steps.
- Start the instant pot and sauté onions and garlic in hot oil for a few minutes.
- After that, this is an easy dump-and-go recipe. Add the broccoli, carrots, cashews, and broth, then pressure cook.
- Once pressure cooking is done, add in the coconut milk and puree using an immersion blender. Using an immersion blender is very convenient as I can puree in the same pot. Less to clean!
- You can also transfer to a blender such as Vitamix to puree the soup. Let the ingredients cool a bit before pureeing in a stand-alone blender.
- Now season the soup to taste. It is ready for you to enjoy!
Isn't that quick? Wow...I love how easy it is to make healthy soups in the Instant Pot. They are such a perfect meal as the weather is cooling down.
Stovetop Method
If you don't have an instant pot, you can still enjoy this delicious cream of broccoli soup!
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Then add broccoli, carrots, cashews, and broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Then, blend the soup with an immersion blender or a countertop blender until it is smooth.
- Add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Heat the soup for a couple of minutes.
- Cream of broccoli soup is ready to be served.
How to thicken Cream of Broccoli Soup?
I used Cashews and Coconut milk to thicken this Cream of Broccoli Soup. A few other options are:
- Heavy cream - This will include dairy in the soup. Replace with the same amount of coconut milk as in the recipe.
- Potatoes - The soup is still vegan & gluten-free with this option.
- Cheese - You can use dairy or non-dairy cheese.
- Almond Milk - You can add almond milk at the end instead of coconut milk.
What to serve with Cream of Broccoli soup?
Top the soup with grated parmesan or romano cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
My favorite side with soup is toasted bread or garlic bread to dunk into the soup. A grilled cheese sandwich is a great side, along with any soup.
A side salad will pair well too. If you want some meat, grilled chicken would also be great.
How to Store Cream of Broccoli Soup?
Let the soup cool to room temperature, then store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then heat in the microwave or a pot on the stovetop.
Common Questions
I like to keep Better than Bouillon in the refrigerator at all times. Making broth is so easy with it. I don't have to buy expensive broth cartons that use so much space. I used a vegetable broth base in this recipe to make it vegan. You can choose to add the broth of your choice.
This soup is dairy-free and hence perfect for freezing. It stays good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days as well. Let the soup cool down completely, then pack it in small containers before you freeze, so you only take it out as needed.
Fresh broccoli is best. However, frozen broccoli will work well too. Cook it at the same time as in the recipe. No need to thaw beforehand.
More Vegan Soup Recipes:
Cream of Broccoli Soup (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 lb Broccoli cut into small florets, about 5 cups
- 1 cup Carrots cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup Cashews
- 2 cups Broth
- ¾ cup Coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste (optional)
To garnish
- Basil (optional)
- 2 tablespoon Parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Start the instant pot in Saute mode and heat oil in it. Add diced onions and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add broccoli, carrots, cashews and broth. Stir it all up. Press Cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for for 3 mins.
- After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release the pressure manually.
- Add coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to a creamy texture. You can also transfer to a blender such as Vitamix to blend the soup. Be careful while blending to avoid hot splatters.
- Season the soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Top with parsley and basil to garnish. Enjoy with toasted bread!
Stovetop Method
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.
- Then add broccoli, carrots, cashews, and broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Then, blend the soup with an immersion blender or a countertop blender until it is smooth.
- Add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Heat the soup for a couple of minutes.
- Cream of broccoli soup is ready to be served. Top with parsley and basil to garnish. Enjoy with toasted bread!
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Dr Karen Hoving says
LOVED it
Added a few potatoes-otherwise did it exactly as written.
I did freeze one portion -it thawed out wonderfully!
Thanks I'll be doing this often during the winter~
Meeta Arora says
Hello Dr Karen - Happy to hear you enjoyed the soup!
Dan S says
Came out good! Could have used a Bay Leaf in the cooker.
Meeta Arora says
Hi Dan - Great idea to add a bay leaf. Glad to hear it turned out good!
Lopa says
Hi Meeta, I’d like to make this today but without nuts. How many potatoes do you recommend adding & does the cooking time change? Thank you!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Lopa - Sorry for the late response. You can add one potato cut in small chunks before pressure cooking. You can also use coconut milk or heavy cream to thicken the soup.
Tara D says
Wow! This soup is delicious! I followed the recipe as written. My very skeptical hubby enjoyed a second serving. I made barley in my second instant pot, and we topped our soups with it. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi Tara D - Thank you! So happy to hear that! 🙂
Toni Henning says
How can you tag it as vegan when the recipe calls for chicken broth?
Meeta Arora says
Sorry, the recipe does not call for chicken broth. You can very well use vegetable broth 🙂
Lana says
The linked broth is chicken flavored, but I read the recipe above so I know it’s vegetarian better than bullion you’re recommending. I think that’s why the person was confused.
Chhavi says
Hi Meeta
Frozen broccoli should work too, right ? I dont seem to find fresh broccoli in my local supermarket these days.
Looking fwd to trying this soup - so healthy !
Meeta Arora says
Hi Chhavi - yes, frozen broccoli should work well in this soup. Hope you enjoy it!
Sarah G. says
Amazing!! So yummy!! I used lite coconut milk (all that I had) and I added some sauteed turnips and leeks that I made this morning as hashbrowns. Perfectly hit the spot for my cream of broccoli soup craving!! Will definately be making again!
Meeta Arora says
Hey Sarah - So glad to hear you enjoyed the soup!
Christa Petersen says
Just made this with leftover cauliflower and broccoli stalks. It's wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Meeta Arora says
Hey Christa - So glad you enjoyed it. And great to hear you adding both cauliflower and broccoli to it. Thank you for sharing back your review!
Lea says
Delicious. Anytime my 8 year old son praises a dinner that is based around a green vegetable is what moms call “success”.
Meeta Arora says
Oh..I totally agree. Now I wish my 5yo would eat this too. We loved it, but she is not into soups yet. Thank you for sharing back your review!
Karly says
Love how easy and healthy this is! Thanks for sharing!
Meeta Arora says
Hey Karly - You are welcome. I have been enjoying making these easy healthy soups in the instant pot.