# Cream of Broccoli Soup

> Broccoli soup goes dull for two reasons: **long boiling**, which turns bright green to olive, and **blending while it is still simmering**. Give the broccoli **eight minutes at most**, and add the cream after the pot is off the heat so it does not split.

**American Cuisine · 30 min · 4 servings · 190 kcal per serving**

Cream of broccoli is one of the easiest creamy soups and the one most often ruined by colour. The cause is never the ingredients — it is a few extra minutes on the heat.

## Ingredients

- 500 g — broccoli, chopped
- 1 piece — onion, chopped
- 1 piece — medium potato, chopped
- 2 tbsp — butter
- 4 cups — vegetable or chicken stock
- 0.5 cup — double cream
- 1 tsp — salt
- 0.25 tsp — nutmeg
- 0.5 cup — grated cheddar

## Method

1. **Soften the onion** — Melt the butter and soften the onion over medium heat until it wilts and turns pale — but without browning, since colour there darkens a green soup.
2. **Potato and stock** — Add the chopped potato and the stock and give it **10 minutes** until the potato is tender. The potato is what provides the creamy body without any flour.
3. **The broccoli** — Add the broccoli and give it **exactly 8 minutes** — tender but still holding its colour. Any longer turns the bright green to olive, and there is no going back.
4. **Blend** — Take the pot off the heat and let it settle for two minutes, then blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Blending while it bubbles incorporates air and lightens the colour.
5. **Cream and finish** — Add the cream, salt and nutmeg **with the pot away from the heat**, and stir. Returning it to high heat after the cream goes in will split it.

## Tips

- Exactly eight minutes for the broccoli — every extra minute costs you a shade of colour.
- The potato gives the creamy body with no flour or cornflour needed.
- Cream always goes in off the heat; high heat splits it.
- For a stronger green, hold back a quarter of the broccoli, boil it two minutes only, and add it after blending.

## FAQ

### Why does my soup lose its colour?
The broccoli was boiled too long. Eight minutes is the maximum — chlorophyll breaks down under prolonged heat and green turns olive, and nothing brings it back.

### Can I make it without cream?
Yes — the potato alone gives a good creamy texture. Or use half a cup of coconut milk for a plant-based version, again added off the heat.

### Why does the cream split?
It was added over high heat. Cream separates above a certain temperature — add it with the pot away from the heat, stir, and do not let it boil afterwards.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/american-cuisine/cream-of-broccoli-soup
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-14