Roasted Broccoli Almond Soup
This thick and hearty roasted broccoli almond soup uses roasted broccoli to up the broccoli flavor and subs toasted almonds in place of the cream you often find in broccoli soups. While a cheesy broccoli and cheddar soup is delicious, sometimes we all want something healthier.
Honestly, I find that cream to be unnecessary anyway.
This broccoli almond soup recipe is the next addition to the fall soup season collection. You know. It’s the time of year when the wind blows and the rains come and you try as you might to resist turning on the heat. I hope this soup keeps you warm on the inside.
Tips and tricks
Toasting nuts
Please don’t skip this step. Roasting or toasting nuts deepens their flavor and adds to the contrasting crunch of your garnish.
You can use any mid-range oven temperature to toast nuts. Just check on them frequently, and use your nose to take them out when they start to smell, well, nutty.
Roasting broccoli
One of the secrets to big broccoli flavor in this soup is roasting the broccoli. If you’re turning on the oven to toast nuts, you might as well use it to roast broccoli too. However, if you don’t want to dirty another pan, you can cook the broccoli in the soup pot along with the other vegetables.
Tip from the wise quacker: never throw away your broccoli stems! They are great to use in broccoli soup. Trim away the woody ends and then cut or peel the outer layer. If you are ever making something that uses only florets, throw the trimmed stems into your freezer and save them for future soups!
Don’t forget to reserve a few of the smaller roasted florets to garnish the soup.
Making the broccoli soup
This soup recipe is similar to any other vegetable soup recipe. You’ll start by lightly browning some onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and potato. The vegetables are covered in water, simmered for 20 or so minutes, and then it’s all puréed together.
Don’t worry about how you chop the vegetables, but it does help to get them roughly about the same size. That way they’ll cook relatively evenly.
Hand-held stick blenders can be really convenient for soup making. If you use a stick blender to purée soup, please make sure to unplug it before you clean it! You can read more about this and other hazards in the kitchen from a doctor’s perspective.
Don’t forget to taste the soup before serving to adjust for salt and pepper. Add more vinegar a teaspoon at a time, if you like.
Variations and substitutions
- Make this soup with roasted cauliflower or a combination of cauliflower and broccoli.
- Substitute store-bought vegetable broth in place of making your own with the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and potato.
- Substitute lemon juice or a bit of white wine or vermouth for the vinegar.
What to serve with roasted broccoli almond soup
Here are a few suggestions for what to serve with broccoli almond soup:
- a salad like this rainbow salad with maple dijon dressing.
- this semolina bread or other crusty bread.
- if you’re not vegan, my kiddo made that buttermilk drop biscuit using this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Kids, and it was delicious.
- if you eat meat, a simple roast chicken dish like these cast iron chicken breasts.
- for wine, this would pair well with a sauvignon blanc, a dry white that often tends towards grassy or vegetal notes.
Storage
This soup should be refrigerated and will keep for a few days. Or you can freeze it prior to garnishing in individual portions for three to six months. To serve, reheat it gently in a pot on the stove top.
Recipe FAQs
I would recommend only using blanched almonds to avoid having the skins change the soup’s texture. If all you have is unblanched almonds, here’s how to blanch almonds.
Simmering is cooking just below the boiling point of a liquid. You should see some gentle bubbling with small bubbles.
A touch of acid like vinegar or lemon juice is said to “brighten” and balance the flavor of soups.
Other Related Soup Recipes…
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Roasted Broccoli Almond Soup
Equipment
- 1 Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli, florets cut and stems trimmed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 cup blanched slivered or whole almonds
- 1 Yukon gold potato, scrubbed and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- ½ large onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F while you are chopping the vegetables.
- Add the chopped broccoli, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a rimmed roasting pan. Toss to coat and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. The broccoli should be cooked through and lightly browned in places.2 heads broccoli, florets cut and stems trimmed and chopped, 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- At the same time, toast the almonds in a small pan for 5 to 10 minutes until they start to smell nutty.1 cup blanched slivered or whole almonds
- While the broccoli and nuts are in the oven, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a large soup pot and turn the heat up to medium.2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- When the oil is hot, add the potato, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to brown.1 Yukon gold potato, scrubbed and chopped, 1 carrot, peeled and chopped, 1 stalk celery, chopped, ½ large onion or 1 medium onion, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- Add water to cover and then stir in the remaining one teaspoon of salt and the ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let the vegetables simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 teaspoons salt, divided, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3 sprigs of parsley
- When the broccoli and almonds are done, reserve a few broccoli florets and almonds for garnish.
- Working in batches, use your blender or food processor to purée the soup, broccoli, and almonds together to a thick consistency.
- Turn the heat back to low, add the cider vinegar, and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Garnish with the reserved broccoli florets and almonds. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
This broccoli almond soup was first posted on October 15, 2021. It was last updated February 16, 2023.
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