Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (2024)

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This Italian Broccoli Soup is just like my Grandma used to make! No cream in this soup recipe so it’s comfort food that’s good for you, too!

Grandma’s recipes are the best, aren’t they? Not only do they taste amazing but they bring back so many memories of the food and the people that were making the food for you. One of our most popular recipes is our Grandma’s Sunday Meatballs and Sauce, perfect for those big Sunday meals.

Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (1)

No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe

This Italian Broccoli Soup recipe is made without any cream, so it’s a lot better for you than most broccoli soup recipes with heavy cream and/or cheese. We’re calling this “Italian” broccoli soup only because it’s how my Italian Grandma and aunts used to make it and we absolutely loved it.

There’s no “al dente” broccoli treatment here, either. This broccoli is cooked to death, as my dad always says. Mushy, even, in the best way possible. Top this soup recipe with lots of nutty parmesan cheese, fresh black pepper and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and you’ve got a giant bowl of comfort food.

How To Make Italian Broccoli Soup

This broccoli soup recipe is so simple, but you can add your own twists too! Start by cooking broccoli florets and stems in chicken broth with a few cloves of garlic. Smash the garlic cloves but keep them whole so that you can remove them after the broccoli has cooked.

Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (2)

Again, this is not the time and place for al dente vegetables. We want this broccoli cooked – like super soft and almost mushy. That’s how my grandma made it and that’s how were making it here for this Italian Broccoli Soup.

After the broccoli has been cooked, mash it with a potato masher to break it up into smaller pieces but leave some pieces larger for texture. Don’t break it up so much that it’s like baby food, just enough to make it soup-like.

Add orzo, ditalini, broken spaghetti or whatever small sized pasta you have on hand. Cook the soup for another 15 minutes until the pasta is tender and serve.

Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (3)

How To Serve Our Italian Broccoli Soup

Serve this broccoli soup in big bowl with lots of fresh black pepper and good quality grated parmesan cheese on top. Crackers or a loaf of crusty bread for dipping is a must at our house, too!

This broccoli soup recipe is fairly light, not heavy like some broccoli soup that has cream or cheese in it, so this soup can also be served as a side dish to many main courses. My Grandma used to serve this soup with her famous Pot Roast Recipe or alongside a comforting Beef Lasagna.

We ate big in those days.

Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (4)

Other Ways To Make This Soup

This is the basic recipe, but there are many ingredients that you can add to this basic broccoli soup too!

  • Add in other vegetables like carrots or celery
  • Cook onion and garlic in olive oil before adding the broccoli for added flavor
  • Keep it vegetarian by using water instead of chicken broth (bump up the seasonings if using only water)
  • Use cauliflower rice for a lower carb soup option
  • Make this same soup recipe with cauliflower instead of broccoli
  • Add a touch of cream and/or stir in some grated sharp cheddar cheese

Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (5)

Looking For More Soup Recipes?

  • Chicken Corn Chowder
  • Beefy Tomato Soup
  • Split Pea Soup with Ham
  • Slow Cooker Pasta fa*gioli
  • Turkey Soup From Scratch

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    Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (6)

    Italian Broccoli Soup

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 37 reviews
    • Author: Dan
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 45 minutes
    • Total Time: 50 minutes
    • Yield: 6 Servings 1x

    Print Recipe

    This comforting Italian Broccoli Soup is just like my Grandma used to make! No cream, just broccoli, garlic and parmesan cheese so it’s actually good for you too!

    Scale

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound broccoli, cut into stems and florets
    • 4 cups chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth or all water)
    • 2 cups water
    • 34 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • Fresh black pepper to taste
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
    • 3/4 cup orzo or ditalini pasta
    • Grated parmesan cheese for garnish
    • Extra virgin olive oil for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Add the broccoli to a soup pot or dutch oven. Pour in the broth and water along with the salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
    2. Smash the broccoli with a potato masher, or you can use an immersion blender but don’t blend until smooth. Leave larger and smaller pieces of broccoli for texture.
    3. Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until the pasta is tender, stirring often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
    4. Add the nutmeg, taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and more fresh black pepper if desired.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information is without parmesan cheese and olive oil garnish.

    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stove Top
    • Cuisine: American

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    Italian Broccoli Soup | No Cream Broccoli Soup Recipe | Mantitlement (2024)

    FAQs

    What is cream of broccoli soup made of? ›

    broccoli – fresh or frozen (lots – 700g/1.4lb!) butter, garlic and onion – flavour base. chicken or vegetable broth/stock + water – for simmering / soup broth. cheese & cream for finishing.

    How can I thicken up my cream of broccoli soup? ›

    Add Flour Or Cornstarch

    You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

    Why does my broccoli soup taste bland? ›

    If your Broccoli Soup tastes bland, there are several potential reasons. Here are some common culprits and suggestions to enhance the flavour: Insufficient seasoning. Solution: Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly.

    What makes thick creamy soups? ›

    Traditional cream soups derive their smooth texture from liberal amounts of milk or cream, thickened with flour or cornstarch. Now when we make soups that are creamy, chances are they contain no cream at all: They're likely thickened with purees made from starchy vegetables.

    Who makes cream of broccoli soup? ›

    Cream of Broccoli Soup - Campbell Soup Company.

    What does broccoli soup do to your body? ›

    Salads and soups with broccoli are a delight to many diners. Broccoli is one of the richest sources of good carbohydrates which aid digestion maintaining low blood sugar. And because it has the right amount of fibrous roughage it also helps in preventing constipation.

    What not to put in soup? ›

    The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
    1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
    2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
    3. Juice. ...
    4. Turkey Bacon. ...
    5. Cheese. ...
    6. Croutons.

    What gives soup the best flavor? ›

    Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

    Can broccoli soup upset your stomach? ›

    Certain foods are best to avoid with an upset stomach, like dairy, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, and foods with high gluten content – these can all exacerbate the problem even further. There are however certain foods that will provide instant relief and soothe a troublesome tummy.

    Can you put milk in soup instead of cream? ›

    Yes, you can definitely add cream to your soup. Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.

    How can I make my soup more creamy? ›

    The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.

    When to add cream to soup? ›

    If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

    What is cream of soup made of? ›

    A cream soup will often have a soup base, prepared with ingredients such as onion, celery, garlic powder, celery salt, butter, bacon drippings, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, milk, light cream, and chicken stock or vegetable stock. Various vegetables or meats are then added to the base.

    What is in Campbell's cream of broccoli soup? ›

    WATER, BROCCOLI, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CREAM (MILK), WHEAT FLOUR, CHEDDAR AND PARMESAN CHEESE, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, CANOLA AND/OR SOYBEAN), SALT, WHEY POWDER, YEAST EXTRACT, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, FLAVOUR, BETA CAROTENE. Nutritional Information is based on our current data.

    Is cream of broccoli soup gassy? ›

    Broccoli makes some people gassy and bloated. It contains raffinose, a type of sugar that isn't digested in the intestines. Instead, the gut bacteria use fermentation to digest raffinose, and gas and bloating are side effects of this fermentation process.

    Is cream of broccoli soup a mixture or pure substance? ›

    If it is a mixture, classify it as hom*ogeneous or heterogeneous. White wine is hom*ogeneous; cream of broccoli soup is heterogeneous. Explanation: A hom*ogeneous mixture has a uniform composition of constituent particles down to a microscopic level and does not separate into its constituent parts upon standing.

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