Are you a fan of detox diets? I’m strictly in the anti-detox camp. For the most part, I try to eat as healthy as possible – which basically means eating all the veggies – while indulging in the occasional treat. Or let’s face it, sometimes a weekend full of too many carbs and wine and very little of the green stuff. For those Sunday nights when I start wondering if I can get away with wearing sweatpants to work on Monday instead of my skinny jeans, this Five Ingredient Roasted Broccoli Soup is the perfect reset and the closest I’ll ever come to a detox.
A variation of my Five Ingredient Creamy Zucchini Soup, the premise is the same – a simple mix of onion, garlic, veggie broth, broccoli, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil – combined to make a creamy, dreamy soup in about 30 minutes. The end result is decadent tasting but incredibly virtuous in the nutrition department. The secret to packing in extra flavor? Roasting the broccoli until it just begins to brown before adding to the sautéed onions and garlic and pureeing into a lovely green bowl of wholesomeness. It’s a meal that’s sure to get things, ahem…moving. If you know what I mean.
A couple of notes, this recipe calls for using only the broccoli crowns. In the interest of utilizing all the bits and pieces, I once tried using the broccoli stalks with underwhelming results. They never fully broke down and left the soup with fibrous pieces that even my Vitamix couldn’t whirl away. Stick with the florets. Leftovers also reheat really well, should your detox require a multi-day effort.
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large broccoli crowns (stems removed)
- 1 heaping cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- freshly cracked sea salt and pepper
- cashew sour cream and minced chives for garnish (optional)
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Chop broccoli into evenly sized florets. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season generously with freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper. Lay out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until florets are just beginning to brown.
- Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a pot or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, salt and pepper, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the broccoli is very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot, garnished with sour cream and chives.
Can’t get enough broccoli? You must make this Spicy Broccoli Salad with Peanut Dressing.
Roasted broccoli?? How have I missed that? This looks great – especially for my broccoli loving boyfriend! H x
Roasting is the key! I love that your boyfriend loves broccoli, Helen!
Delicious, perfect & simple – best kinda soup ever!
Agreed! Thanks, Debra.
This is one of my fave ways to eat broccoli. Yum.
Mine too!
“I’m strictly in the anti-detox camp.”
Me too! I thought I was the only one. Glad to hear I’m not.
I like the sound of this soup. I totally over-indulged at lunch today (once in awhile… right?) and this sounds like the perfect supper 🙂
I’m just not built for detoxes! Balance is the key.
I made this today using a container of IMAGINE vegetable stock, and frozen broccoli (I let it defrost on the pan while the oven preheated; by that time I could break it into smaller pieces.)
Anyway, I can’t even tell you how amazing it was.
So so totally delish.
And my anemic-tendencies are happy now.
The whole big bag of broccoli made 6 bowls.
That’s a lot of broccoli I had today!
I printed it out and this is going on my “favorites” recipe pile.
Love that you used frozen broccoli, Vichna! And I’m laughing out loud at your comment, “That’s a lot of broccoli I had today!” That’s how I feel every time I eat this soup too, so glad it’s now one of your favorites.
THANK YOU for this!! I just had my wisdom teeth removed and am limited to smoothies/soups/etc. for a week or so. I made this soup and added spinach for some extra nutrition and it was AMAZING. Thank you thank you thank you.
So glad the recipe came in handy during your recovery, Marley!
It was delightful! I didn’t have sour cream but added some lime juice, apple cider vinegar and salt to some vegan yogurt I had and used that as the topping. Also added a little coconut milk to the soup after I blended it to make it slightly creamier. Love the roasted broccoli!
I’m excited to try this!
Loved it
For a bit of a cheesy flavor, I added 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast. I also added 2 tsp of ground cumin and a bit of cayenne pepper. Delicious!
Sometimes I use this recipe as the base for a vegan broccoli cheese soup too, Dana! Gotta love nutritional yeast. 🙂