The cold season calls for warming soups and stews to keep you nourished and comforted. Are you looking for a healthier alternative to the old-fashioned cream of broccoli soup?
You came to the right place! We’ve made a rich and delicious healthy broccoli soup, loaded with nutrients, and made a few replacements, making it easier to digest and lower in calories.
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Ingredients
- Broccoli is the star of this soup, and we all know this veggie is a powerhouse of vitamin C, as well as B6, Calcium and fiber, while packing no cholesterol or sodium.
- Yogurt. If you want to make a lighter soup by cutting down the calories and relieving the pressure that fats put on your liver, use plain or Greek yogurt instead in the recipes that call for cream. Yogurt will add a tangy taste, but it’s also a good dose of probiotics and has less fat, while the cream will burden your digestion. Just remember that you should add the yogurt just before serving, because simmering it will make the cream soup split.
- Veggies can include anything you have in your fridge, and will make the recipe healthier and the soup thicker.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making cream soups is no rocket science but, in fact, one of the easiest dishes you can make in your own kitchen. This healthy cream of broccoli soup is no exception.
Prep your ingredients: Rinse and dice your veggies and grate the cheese.
Add all the veggies except broccoli into a large soup pot. Cover with water or vegetable soup, and bring to a boil.
Simmer until tender. Add the broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Add the cheese and yogurt and blend everything until smooth using a hand blender.
Tips for a Healthy Soup
While everybody enjoys a bowl of dense, fatty soup, making a healthier alternative is something to consider, especially if you want to cut down the calories or balance your hormone production.
Add more greens. Try fresh parsley, beet greens, chard, or frozen spinach. They all support your liver function and enrich the nutritional value of your cream soup with calcium, fiber, and vitamins, supporting natural detoxification.
Cut the calories down. You can do this easily by replacing cream with yogurt and by reducing the cheese quantity.
Don’t boil your broccoli. Do this by adding the broccoli to the soup pot just a few minutes before turning off the heat. Over-boiling destroys most of its precious nutrients—you can tell that just by watching its bright green color fading.
Want to make your cream of broccoli soup vegan? Use nondairy cheese and vegan yogurt.
FAQ
Cream soups can be thickened quite easily using starches such as potatoes, arrowroot, or cornstarch. We want to stay away from these because we’re cooking a healthier alternative, so we’re simply relying on a large quantity of vegetables to thicken the liquid. If you are wondering if cream thickens the soup, it actually gives it a velvety texture, rather than thickening it.
If you plan to freeze it, skip the yogurt and add it only after heating the defrosted batch. Remember that heating your food multiple times destroys the nutrients, and sometimes we end up eating empty calories. So freeze the cooled soup in separate Ziplock bags and heat only the serving size you need.
Cream of Broccoli Soup—a Healthier Version
Loaded with broccoli and greens and made with yogurt instead of cream, this healthy cream of broccoli soup is a warming and comforting dish you’ll want to make and enjoy over and over.
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, large (cut into small florets)
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 cup frozen spinach, defrosted
- 1 large bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 tablespoon plain yogurt
- ⅓ cup cheese, grated (cheddar or mozzarella)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Add the carrots, yellow onion, spinach, celery stalks, and garlic into a medium soup pot and cover with the vegetable broth.
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Bring to boil over medium heat, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
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Add the broccoli and simmer 5 minutes more.
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Add the cheese and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
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Use a hand mixer to blend everything until very creamy.
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Add the yogurt and process to incorporate.
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Divide into serving bowls and serve warm.
Still hungry? We’ve got more healthy soup recipes to keep you full this cold season: