Creamy Broccoli Soup is kiiiiiiinda addictive, and the best part is that it’s dairy-free and chock full of yummy veggies.
Today, in honor of my cookbook Performance Paleo‘s one-year anniversary, I’m sharing this Comforting Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe with you!
The Performance Paleo Cookbook was released on January 6, 2015, and it was a labor of love. I created over 100 recipes and did all the photography in my little home studio.
I’m proud to say that the cookbook is a best-seller and award-winner, but what’s stuck with me the most are the wonderful messages I’ve gotten from readers who say they’ve learned how to eat foods that nourish their bodies.
It’s been incredible to see photos of the cookbook as far away as Japan, Germany, and Malaysia just to name a few.
Now, onto the soup. It’s so tasty and oh-so-perfect for chilly winter weather. My recommendation is to make a double batch. It even freezes really well.
Dairy-Free Milk Substitutes
Creamy, milk-based soups are usually off the menu if you’re avoiding dairy, but this recipe will change all that.
Coconut milk (see my recipe for homemade) is paired with chicken broth and aromatics to create the base, then it’s simmered with broccoli and pureed to create a creamy soup that you’ll love. Sometimes I top this with roasted chicken for a complete meal.
If you wanted another non-dairy milk option, try homemade cashew milk for its creamy texture and mouthfeel.
Make This Dairy-Free Soup with Chicken Broth
I suggest making this soup with a base of chicken broth. It really adds a depth of flavor that’s hard to achieve with other broths.
If you’re trying to make this soup 100% plant-based though, you could totally use veggie broth and leave out the ghee. It’s easy to adapt.
Make your own homemade chicken bone broth or if choosing store-bought, go for low sodium. That way, you can customize the amount of salt and avoid an overly salty soup.
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Comforting Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe
Comforting Creamy Broccoli Soup is like a warm hug in a bowl. This dairy-free, paleo, whole30 soup comes together in less than 30 minutes. Here's a tip: Make a double batch because this soup is so delicious and flavorful. Get the recipe now!
Ingredients
- 1 leek large, white and light green parts, washed and sliced
- 1/2 white onion small, chopped
- 1 lb broccoli crowns chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Simmer the soup. Add all the ingredients to a large pot, and bring them to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
Blend it up. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender, and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
This soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
If you love this soup, be sure to rate it and leave a comment below. I’m eager to hear from you.
Pin this Comforting Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe for later.
99 Responses
Is there anyway to substitute ghee with something else?
Any other kind of fat you like. I might choose something with a neutral flavor if possible but use what you like.
I used avocado and it was great and added to the creaminess.I also used almond milk.and a little goat parmesan
I use coconut oil.
Do you know or can you list the carb, protein and fat count?
Thank you ?
I love your Instagram ??
Hi Molly,
I never provide nutritional info because of liability reasons but you happen to be in luck with this recipe because my publisher did the macro breakdown for me, and this recipe appeared in my book.
P 9
F 20
Total carb 13
Net carb 9
Thanks! IG is my favorite 🙂
Hello!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Any suggestions for a substitute for the coconut milk? I am allergic to coconut. Thanks!
Hi there…any kind of nut milk would work, maybe cashew.
Thank you!
I used almond milk and it was delicious!
This sounds sooo good. What type of coconut milk should be used – canned or the refrigerated container?
I would recommend canned, full-fat.
Just made this in my Instant Pot! I let the soup function do it’s thing, blended with and immersion blender, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. So tasty and easy! Topped it with shredded chicken. Thank you!
Oh perfect! I still need to get one of those 🙂
Thank you for this!!! I totally want to use my instant pot for this but was unsure how to do it…did you put the coconut milk in woth everything else then put it on soup function for 10 minutes? Or do everything but the coconut milk for 10 minutes on soup and add the mik after?
I would add everything in your IP except the coconut milk. When the soup is finished pour it in a high speed blender (little at a time) or use an immersion blender. Blend in the coconut milk at the same time as your blending.
How long did you leave it on he soup function on he instant pot? I’m still tinkering and learning on mine.
Any thoughts on replacing the leek? I just cannot do leeks 🙂
Use an onion instead.
Think asparagus would work also? I am really missing my old cream of asparagus soup.
Hi Lynne…my gut feeling on it is yes but I’m not 100% sure!
Hi. I’ve never froze a soup with coconut milk in it. Do you know if this soup will freeze well?
Hi Leanne,
Yes, this soup freezes well.
Steph
yay was just gonna ask about freezing this. What if I have no broth available? Add more spices? I assume the same would be great with cauliflower too….
Hey Sarena! Sure, you could add more spices or maybe some celery…something else to create umami. Yep I have that recipe here: https://www.stephgaudreau.com/2013/10/17/creamy-leek-soup-dairy-free/
Just made this and I love it! Thank you
Woohoo, happy dance!! Thank you Ryanne!
Can you use frozen broccoli crowns?
Sure!
It was delicious! I added some chopped bacon and chopped rotisserie chicken after the blender. I wish I had made more for the leftovers. Next time I will have to make a double batch 🙂
Oh wow those are the perfect additions 🙂
Just made this and its absolutely delicious (I did sautee the garlic, onion and leek first before adding the rest.) Tastes just like you’d get at a restaurant if you ordered cream of broccoli. thank you!
That’s music to my ears!!
I would love to make this soup, however, I never heard of ghee and have no idea what it is, nor where I could purchase it. Could you fill me in? Thank you for anything you can add.
Hi there! Luckily I wrote a whole blog post all about ghee 🙂 https://www.stephgaudreau.com/2014/04/01/ghee-what-is-this-healthy-fat/ You can also find it in the supermarket in the butter section.
SO GOOD!!! We added in chicken and roasted potatoes after we put the soup in the blender (I like a little more texture) and used coconut oil instead of ghee. Absolutely loved this! I’m ready for a snow day to cozy up and eat this for lunch on the couch 🙂 Next time I will definitely make a double batch.
Those are all awesome subs / additions. I love it when folks make recipes their own 🙂
Hi, just made my first batch and it’s amazing! How long can I keep this refrigerated please?
I recommend up to 5 days for any leftovers.
Hi can you tell me how long this will last in the refrigerator? I don’t have any containers to freeze it in and I’ve made a lot! Thanks
Hi Anna,
As with any leftovers, 4-5 days is about what I recommend.
Ahhhhh! I bought coconut cream instead of milk! Can I still make this recipe??
Dammit!
That works just fine 🙂
Do you cook the onion and leek before adding everything else?
Hi Allison,
Nope…I just throw it all right in together.
Hi! I am new to this world! Not eating whole foods, but my husband and I just set sail on our Whole 30 (his birthday was this month, so we just postponed resolutions) Anyway, while I am more receptive to variety and not needing cheese on anything I knew using just being lazy wasn’t going to get him through 30 days. Thank goodness I found your site! This soup was awesome! So comforting, delicious, and adaptable! We love us some spice, so we added some cayenne, smoked paprika, more pepper, and boom- perfect for our tastes (although I liked it as is as well) So thank you for your awesome recipes and making my Whole30 planning much, much easier!
Hi Jen! Love how you made it your own by upping the spice factor…I definitely add a ton of fresh black pepper to my own 😉
Can you make this in a crockpot?
I have no idea. It might be too watery since the lid will trap all the steam. You could try it and find out but I might reduce the amount of liquid to start.
This was delightful! made it on the stovetop as written, and even my 1yo and 3yo gobbled up this broccoli soup. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I love it when the kids give their thumbs up!
I love it!!! it’s so easy to make. Thank you!!
You’re very welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Do you need the ghee? I’m making this soup with cauliflower and thought the full fat coconut milk would be fine. Can’t wait to try it!
I like the flavor it adds…a butteriness…but if you don’t like it, you can skip it.
I just want to say thank you for this delicious recipe! It will become part of my soup rotation for sure 😉
I’m stoked to hear that Mel!
Perfect soup for a cooler Autumn day! Kids loved it and I doubled it so we have a whole nother meal waiting in the freezer 🙂 only thing I omitted was the onion and ghee ( I just added another leek ) .
Linda, I’m excited to hear that you enjoyed it!
This is by far THE BEST tasting creamy broccoli soup I’ve ever had! And made even better by the whole, clean ingredients! Thank you thank you thank you for this!
I made a double batch with the intent to freeze most, and then top with shredded chicken throughout the fall. I doubt it will last long at all!
Leah, I’m excited to hear that you enjoyed it!
Does the flavor of the coconut milk come through or just add creaminess? We are hesitant to have that taste in this all-time favorite soup of ours.
It adds creaminess and you can’t really taste it.
Thanks!
You’re welcome! Happy to help. If you’d prefer not to use coconut for whatever reason, you can definitely sub with any other nut milk.
Have you tried throwing the broccoli stocks in this as well? Would it change the soup much?
Thanks!
You can! You may just need to add more broth to prevent it from getting too thick.
I used homemade almond milk and I’m sure that’s why it came out a little thin but the flavor was great. I used about a half a cup of Epic brand salt and pepper pork rinds to thicken it up, which worked great. It was the end of the bag so i just dumped them in with all the seasonings from the bottom of the bag which gave it a peppery kick so if you dont want that dont just dump it in. Lol. I served it with Simple Mills Almond Flour sea salt crackers. Definitely a keeper. Thank you.
Sweet!! Super glad to hear that, Kristin!
Just made this for my family on this cold snowy day! I was trying to clean out the crisper a little, so used more leeks (3 small ones), no onion, and added a couple of very small bulbs of fennel. Didn’t have ghee, so I sauteed the fennel and leeks in a tablespoon of butter before adding it all to the pot with the broccoli. I was a little short on broccoli so it turned out not to need extra liquid. Great recipe and very forgiving.
I’m happy to hear it worked out well for you Barrie! Sounds like a smart use of your veggie drawer offerings 🙂
Super glad to hear that, Barrie!
Delicious and filling! Thank you for creating this.
Millie, I’m excited to hear that you enjoyed it!
I have not worked with canned coconut milk only the carton. Do you refrigerate it and strain off the coconut water first and just use the fat? Or the entire can?
No, just use a room temperature can and shake it before opening.
Followed recipe exactly and will make this again and again! Love that everything goes in the pot at once and cooks. Very easy.
Sweet!! Super glad to hear that, Marjorie!
Very delicious soup, great receipt.
Too good. Made it this week with celery. Delicious!
Vickie, Thanks for trying the recipe. I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Very good! I thought I had a pound of broccoli but at the last minute it was more like 3/4 pound so it ended up pretty watery. Next day I steamed 8oz more broccoli, finely chopped it, added to the rest. Texture was perfect. Little more salt and pepper and done! Thanks for another great recipe!
April, Thanks for trying the recipe. I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Hello there!
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out very watery 🙁
Any idea how I might’ve goofed?
Thanks!
AMW
Hmmmm…veggies could have had more moisture, especially the broccoli. Sometimes, I’ll hold back some of the broth and adjust it at the end if I need more. Next time, a simple trick is to let the soup keep cooking…moisture will evaporate and thicken it.
Can you make this soup raw?
Hmmmm you could try but I really don’t know how the flavors would come together.
is it possible to replace the chicken broth with water? would it affect the taste? not really a fan of canned goods.
Oh, I don’t do canned broth either…I use homemade (https://www.stephgaudreau.com/2014/07/23/bone-broth-101-how-to-make-best-broth/) or purchase a high-quality broth from companies like Bare Bones Broth: https://www.stephgaudreau.com/barebones. Or, try to find a bullion that isn’t loaded with MSG/preservatives. You could use water but the soup really benefits from having a base of flavor from broth.
Just made this soup and it’s amazing! I’ll have to make a triple batch next time. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Yay!! So stoked to hear that Julie 🙂
OMG, this Soup is delicious. I sautéed the onion and leeks for 5 minutes, added the garlic for 1 more minute. Then put this in the pot with the rest of the ingredients and cooked as written. Pulled out my immersion blender, then enjoyed the heck out of this soup. Thank you so much!!
Délicieux! Merci Steph! Can’t wait to try it!
– Kiki
You’re so very welcome <3
This is amazing! I’m not a soup person and have eaten soooo much of this in one sitting! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Yay!! Glad you really like it Kaleigh!
Oh my gosh. Does it get any easier? Throw everything in a pot and simmer for 30 minutes and you get the best broccoli soup you ever had!! Over the top amazing.
Just made it. I can’t believe such few ingredients can make such a delicious soup. Than you from the bottom of my heart ❤️
You’re welcome Lorie! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂