Cream of Broccoli Soup is essentially a soup dish that has a thick and creamy texture. The main ingredient of the dish is broccoli. The soup is generally thickened with a white sauce, heavy cream or milk, or all of these. There are various ingredients added to the soup to make it richer and more flavorful. These ingredients can include vegetables, soups or both.
An average sized serving of the soup (100g.), when made in the traditional way, contains about 210 calories, 12.4 grams of fat and 32 milligrams of cholesterol.
Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe Overview
Ingredients Used: When made in the most basic and traditional way, Cream of Broccoli Soup is made with broccoli, broth (mostly chicken), bouillon, milk, heavy cream, butter, white sauce and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. It is common to add vegetables like onions, carrots, peas, spinach and tomatoes to the basic soup. Some recipe variations of the creamy soup call for the use of meats like chicken, fish and seafood, and herbs and spices like black pepper, thyme, parsley, cardamom, etc., give aroma and taste to the otherwise simple preparation.
Preparation Overview: Broccoli, along with all the other meats and vegetables (if being used), is sautéed in butter for a few minutes. The sautéed ingredients are then blended once and stirred in white sauce and cream. The mixture is boiled for some time and then transferred to a large pot, along with all the other ingredients and the pot is placed over direct heat. The soup is cooked till it has reached the desired level of doneness and it is then ready to be served.
Popular Cream of Broccoli Recipe Variations
- Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup - Cheese of preference is added to the basic soup to make it thicker, creamier and richer.
- Vegetarian Cream of Broccoli Soup - The completely vegetarian version of the soup is made with 100% vegetarian ingredients. There is no use of meats and the broth is always vegetable broth.
- Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup - To make the vegan version of the soup, large quantities of coconut milk and olive oil are used and broccoli is often added in combination with potatoes to make a thick soup. This version is also apt for lactose intolerant.
Serving Cream of Broccoli Soups
Generally served as an appetizer, a Cream of Broccoli Soup can even be served as a part of the main course, depending on how rich it is. Toasted French bread is a common accompaniment and cheese and croutons are popularly used as garnish. The soup can be served hot or cold.
Popular Cream of Broccoli Soup Brands
- Heinz Cream of Broccoli Soup is a creamy condensed soup available in a 49.75 ounces can. It contains real Cheddar cheese, sweet butter and 50% of butterfat cream. The soup is removed from the can, heated and then served or used as preferred.
- Campbell's Cream of Broccoli Soup is a condensed soup available mostly in a 10.75-ounce can. The company also makes a low-fat version of the soup which contains 1% of milk and light Cheddar cheese.
Cream of Broccoli Soups Trivia
Since the soup is cannot be categorized as a 'healthy' preparation in its traditional form, changes are often made to the basic list of ingredients to turn a Cream of Broccoli soup into a low-calorie and low-fat preparation (margarine instead of butter, light cream instead of heavy cream, etc.).
