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Okay, I’ve got a new vegetable soup recipe here! It’s a delicious, spiced healthy broccoli soup and it’s super easy to make. It’s vegan, yet packed with protein thanks to the addition of chickpeas and mushrooms. I know it sounds like a combo from hell, but you’ll be surprised how good it tastes.
This chunky no cream broccoli soup recipe is perfect for cold weather – it’s hearty, warming and it’s SO filling. Fall, winter, get ready.
This is not your regular, average, broccoli soup. There’s no cheese, no milk, no cream, none of that. No dairy or coconut milk at all! This is a truly simple soup made only with plants and simple ingredients. The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and high-fiber.
Healthy Broccoli Soup Ingredients
Broccoli. I used about 1/2 head of broccoli and some of the stems as well.
Chickpeas. One cup of cooked or canned chickpeas or if you want white beans to make the soup thicker and more filling.
Vegetables. Garlic, onion and I guess the last red peppers and tomatoes from my dad’s garden. You can definitely use dried paprika and tomato paste or canned tomatoes if you don’t have fresh ones.
Spices. Paprika, chili flakes or crushed red pepper, cumin and dried mint (fresh would be great as well!) are all the spices needed.
Mushrooms. These are very, very optional. I actually only used them, because I had some white button mushrooms in the fridge. Mushrooms are a great addition, but not quite necessary for this soup.
Water or Stock. if you use water, make sure to add a good amount of salt, so that the soup doesn’t turn out bland. You can use all the spices you want, if you don’t add salt to a soup it’s going to taste like nothing.
Olive oil. Very necessary to make the soup more satisfying!
Lemon and thinly chopped parsley. Need those for serving!
How To Make Healthy Spiced Broccoli Soup
Start by chopping all the vegetables needed for the broccoli soup. That’s broccoli, mushrooms, onion, tomato and I always like to grate the peppers. Chop everything thinly. Mince garlic.
Add olive oil and mushrooms to a cooking pot and saute for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms have shrunk as if they’re hiding embarrassed from someone wanting to become invisible.
Then move the shy mushrooms to one side and add the onion to the other side. Saute until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant (not that onion is not fragrant before that).
Now it’s time for the spices. Add mint, chili flakes, paprika and cumin and stir to cover the onion and the mushrooms.
Stir in the thinly chopped broccoli then cover with a lid for about 3 minutes. Then add in the chickpeas, garlic, grated pepper and tomato. Add salt and water or stock to cover (about 3-4 cups).
Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 20-25 more minutes.
In the last minutes, before turning off, blend the soup halfway (to leave it chunky) with an immersion blender. You can also use a blender or a food processor, but you need to make sure these are heat-resistant or to let the soup cool off a bit.
Turn the heat off and serve the soup immediately with some thinly chopped fresh mint or parsley and lemon on the side.
What Makes This Broccoli Soup Healthy?
This vegan broccoli soup is loaded with simple healthy foods like broccoli, garlic, onion, chickpeas, mushrooms and spices. They’re all good on their own, but when they come together, they’re even better.
In fact, I think by now we’ve all heard about the magical powers of broccoli to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. But, did you know it was shown to reduce inflammation and help restore gut health? Also, when broccoli comes together with tomatoes their healing properties seem to get even stronger. (source)
Each one of the ingredients in this soup comes with its own health benefits including being anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-microbial and anti-diabetic to name a few. The recipe is rich in antioxidants, fiber and plant-proteins, as well as the vitamins A, C, K, folate, magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium.
How To Store The Soup
This easy broccoli soup makes a great meal prep recipe. It will hold well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days and if you’re eating alone, that’s all the days you will need it to last, because it makes 3-4 servings. So not a big batch, so adjust the recipe accordingly.
More Healthy Vegan Soups
If you’ve tried some of my other soups, you might notice this healthy broccoli soup recipe is pretty similar to my 20-minute chickpea soup. However, it is different and a great way to eat more of this tasty cruciferous vegetable. Make sure to also check out these tasty plant-based soups:
- Red Lentil Broccoli Detox Soup
- Amazing 20-Minute White Bean Soup
- The Best Homemade Lentil Soup
