The colder months make me so much more excited about soup. I crave it for lunch when I’m cold. And since I’m staying home almost all the time, I love eating cozy meals from the couch with Thomas. Not to mention how easy it is to just heat up soup. Can you tell I’m really loving soup these days?
This creamy broccoli soup is a classic for me. Broccoli soup might not sound like it’s good, but you’ll just have to trust me with this one. It’s good. Don’t let the name confuse you either, while it’s super creamy, it’s not cream based. This recipe is dairy free, unless you choose to add cheese at the end.
A few other things I love about this soup:
It freezes well –– perfect for leftovers (even though leftovers don’t last long for me;))
It’s super healthy
You can make it in a blender!
Creamy Spinach Broccoli Soup (but not cream-based)
Before we jump in, let me highlight a few ingredients just to prove to you how healthy this is ;). We’ve got leeks, avocado, spinach, broccoli (duh), garlic, and even lemon. This soup is packed full of foods you probably don’t eat all together on a normal day, so you get bonus points for adding all those healthy veggies to your diet.
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
Step 2
Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Add the broccoli and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the stock and increase heat to high to bring it all to a boil.
Step 5
Add the spinach and nutmeg and stir until the spinach wilts, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 6
Stir in the chopped avocado, and remove from heat.
Step 7
Using an immersion hand blender, blender or food processor (you may need to work in batches), puree the soup, thinning with additional stock or water if it’s too thick for your taste.
Step 8
Add the lemon zest and juice.
Step 9
Top with the toasted almonds and cheese (if you wish) & serve!
Recipe notes
Blender
I use my Vitamix blender multiple times a week and sometimes daily in the summer when I’m on a smoothie kick. It’s a worthy investment for your kitchen. A powerful blender like a vitamix makes this soup ext ra creamy.
Toasted Almonds
I HIGHLY recommend topping this soup with toasted almond slivers. They add such great texture. I also recommend cheese if you can eat dairy.
Slivered almonds, toasted in a dry pan over medium heat
Grated manchego or parmesan cheese
Instructions
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the broccoli and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and increase heat to high to bring it all to a boil.
Add the spinach and nutmeg and stir until the spinach wilts, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the chopped avocado, and remove from heat.
Using an immersion hand blender, blender or food processor (you may need to work in batches), puree the soup, thinning with additional stock or water if it’s too thick for your taste.
Add the lemon zest and juice.
Top with the toasted almonds and cheese & serve!
Notes
I used my vitamix and it all fit in there in one batch. Seriously kids, you gotta invest in one of those things. I’m SO glad I did after holding out for years.
Definitely don’t skip adding the almonds or toasting them! They add such a deep flavor and awesome texture! And obviously don’t skip cheese (if you eat dairy). Duh.
Don’t leave out the lemon. It brightens all the flavors and keeps it fresh-tasting and not too green, if you know what I mean.
Enjoy these old photos from 2016 when I originally published this post.
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