Broccoli Soup with Ginger and Lemon

01.9.16
Hello! You've landed on an older recipe. Sometimes the older recipes aren't written as clearly as they should be or something might need to be clarified. If something seems confusing or a question arises, send me an email and I'll help!

Broccoli Soup with Ginger and Lemon

When I first started eating healthier, soup became my go-to meal for eating out because in my mind, it felt healthier. In retrospect, it was not. The soups I fell in love with were often overloaded with salt and cheese. Similar to all those salads that should be healthy but after a hefty handful of cheese and ranch, are not. One of my favorite soups was and still is broccoli cheddar. If two ingredients were ever meant to be together it's broccoli and cheese. Of course, sometimes I just want the creaminess of the broccoli soup without the cheddar. That's where this soups comes in. It uses the stems of the broccoli to add heft to the soup. Then ginger, lemon, and just a splash of coconut to round out the flavors. Between this broccoli soup and this bok choy soup, I'm set for winter.

Print

Broccoli Soup with Ginger and Lemon

  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 small heads of broccoli, with stems
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk

toppings

  • coconut milk
  • scallions
  • sesame seeds
  • roasted broccoli

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Remove broccoli florets from the stems and cut into small pieces. Peel the stems, discarding the outside, then dice stems and set aside. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spread into a single layer on a sheet tray. Roast until broccoli is tender and starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
  2. While the broccoli is roasting, heat olive oil over medium low in a medium stock pot. Add in minced shallots. Cook for roughly 4 minutes then add in the ginger, cooking for one more minute. Stir in the broccoli stems followed by 3 cups of broth, lemon zest, juice, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until stems are tender and roasted broccoli is done.
  3. Add in the roasted broccoli, reserving a few smaller pieces for topping the soup. Transfer to a blender puree the soup. You will want a solid blender for the job (high-powered if you have it). If soup is too thick, add enough vegetable broth to thin it down to a good consistency.
  4. Transfer the soup back to the pan if using a blender and add in the coconut milk. Heat the soup over low until ready to serve.
  5. Divide soup into two bowls and top with the saved roasted broccoli, sesame seeds, scallions, and extra coconut milk.

Notes

+ make sure the stems are cooked through and if you blend the soup and find the texture not smooth, pass the soup through a sieve before returning to the pot.

 

Variations for the Broccoli Soup

This recipe I cook as is, with only minute changes. For me the differences are in the small details, like the shallots and toppings.

Shallots: I try and keep shallots on hand but I can almost guarantee I have onions and garlic. Either would work in this soup.

Coconut Milk: This soup is perfect for using leftover coconut milk but it's rare I'd open a can just for this soup. I've been known to use heavy cream and add a few toasted coconut flakes on top to keep the flavor.

Toppings: One of my favorite toppings for this soup I didn't have on hand, but pickled ginger is also great on top.

broccoli

Featured Ingredient: Broccoli

Roasted broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables prepared in my favorite way. I love this broccoli soup because there's no waste. A few of my other favorite roasted broccoli recipes are:

Roasted Broccoli Peanut Noodles
Broccoli Almond Pesto Pasta
Broccoli Salad with Tahini Dressing

Broccoli Soup with Ginger

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

26 comments on “Broccoli Soup with Ginger and Lemon”

  1. This soup sounds perfect for keeping warm, nourished and full of vitamins during the cold winter months AND it looks delicious. I adore broccoli, it really is one of my very favourite veg. I am going to try this soup. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the toppings. Sammie.

  2. Heretofore my favorite recipe for broccoli soup has been Anna Thomas'. I'm trying this recipe this week because it seems as though, based on ingredients, it will be a winner. Thanks for sharing this. have a fun day!

  3. I made this and I ended up with a ton of inedible fibers in the soup. Should I have cut off an inch from the bottom of the stems or something?

    1. I actually think you will need to peel the outside of the stem. I forgot to do this when testing this recipe but I didn't notice because I use a high powered blender (which purees everything smooth no matter). I've added instructions to peel the stalks before cooking. Sorry about this! (also, if you think you are using older/longer stalks- you could also try trimming them.)

  4. Erin
    I can't wait to make this. Have you ever tried making any kind of soup with fresh or dried tarragon? I have been try been trying to find new ways to use tarragon. Any suggestions?

    Tiffany

  5. This is a lovely recipe. Its perfect for my family food time-table. I can't wait to try it with my kids. Awesome post, thanks for sharing.

  6. I would. Ever have thought of combining lemon and ginger with broccoli - can't wait to try these flavors! Thanks.

  7. It is really tasty. I leave out the ginger due to personal preferences, but this is a damn good soup!

  8. I made this soup, additionally
    added chilly. Very nice combination if you like a bit of kick 🙂

  9. Always welcoming to an anti inflammatory recipe! I enjoyed the soup but will do it without lemon next time, personally it didn’t sit well for me!

  10. I wouldn’t make this soup unless you have a high powered blender. Using my stick blender it came out bitty. It tasted awful and I had to throw it away. Yuk.

    1. I'm sorry you had this experience but I specifically call this out in the recipe- the broccoli stalks are tougher than the florets and need a heavy hand (or in this case blender) to get smooth.

  11. This is my favourite soup and I’ve fed it to guests on multiple occasions and they all loved it. I serve it with warm pitta bread and sometimes some roasted chickpeas on top to make it a bit more filling. Thanks!!!

  12. This is just such a simple and delicious recipe. A must try if you want a light soup to fill your belly!!!

  13. Thank you very much for this recipe. I love it so much - very healthy. I made some variations which I thought I'd share although they might not be to everyone's taste. When frying the shallots, I added two heaped spoonfuls of yellow curry powder and two mild red chilli for a little kick. I also used coconut cream instead of milk. It ended up being so lovely and thick that we used it as a kind of curry sauce to pour over chicken on rice 👌

hi. 

Welcome to my little internet nook. On this site you'll find over a thousand vegetarian recipes, pantry knowledge, and more. I'm ever obsessed with food from gardening, cooking, and preserving. I hope you'll find endless inspiration on these pages and visit often. 

Virtual hugs, Erin (aka: e.l.l.a.)
A NATURALLY NEWSLETTER

a few good grain recipes

Do away with ads, get access to the back issues of casual, be the first to know about upcoming events, and more.
become a member

beans. beans. beans.

Have a nerdy food question, need a recipe recommendation, or just want to share something exciting you've made?
magnifiercross linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram