Broccoli & Gruyère Soup with Homemade Croutons
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Topped with homemade croutons, this creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself and ready in under an hour.
Topped with crisp homemade croutons, this rich and creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself. It’s perfect to ward off the evening chill, and it’s ready in under an hour.
What you’ll need to make Broccoli Soup
For the ingredients, you’ll need the basics, plus white wine and Gruyère, a nutty and earthy-tasting cheese from Switzerland. It is available at most large grocery stores, Whole Foods, or gourmet markets.
Since the recipe only calls for a half cup of wine, I use a small bottle from a four-pack — they’re inexpensive and great to keep on hand for cooking.
How to make broccoli soup
Begin by chopping your vegetables. No need to chop them too finely since they all get puréed in the end.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot.
Cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced.
Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the cream.
Then purée until smooth.
Gradually add the cheese, stirring until smooth. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
What you’ll need to make the croutons
While the soup is cooking, make the croutons. You’ll need bread cubes (preferably day old), butter, salt, and pepper.
How to make the croutons
Melt the butter in the microwave, then toss it with the bread cubes directly on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons. Enjoy!
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Broccoli & Gruyère Soup with Homemade Croutons
Topped with homemade croutons, this creamy broccoli soup is a meal unto itself and ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 1¾ cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 pound broccoli, florets and stems, roughly chopped
- 4 cups (32 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half, for a lighter version)
- 1 heaping cup grated Gruyère, packed (you'll need about 3 oz.)
- Pinch nutmeg
For the Croutons
- 2 cups cubed French Bread, preferably day old
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Soup
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced, a few minutes.
- Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream; then, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape.) Bring the soup to a simmer, then gradually stir in the cheese, stirring until melted. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with croutons.
For the Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
- Directly on the baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, tossing once, until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp.
- Note: The soup thickens as it sits; add a bit of water to thin it out if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 414
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 13g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Cholesterol: 95mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made this soup last week, it was wonderful. Even my husband liked it. I used half and half since that is what I had on hand, it turned out great. We loved the croutons!
This is awesome. The first time I made it I used the full cream. Husband and I had it for dinner and it was more than enough. The croutons are amazing. I used to make my own but somehow had gotten out of the habit. Not any more. The second time I substituted light cream, it was good, but the full cream is delicious for a special occasion. My youngest son dislikes soup, but this got a rave review. Thank you so much Jenn for all the love and care that goes into this site.
Marjory
Hi, I was wondering if you think this would work just as well with cheddar instead of Gruyère? Also, my husband hates celery — does the soup actually taste at all like celery (or even have a celery “essence”)? Thanks!
Hi Laura, Yes, it’s delicious with cheddar. You can’t taste the celery at all but if you’re worried it’s perfectly fine to leave it out 🙂
Thank you for your recipes. I can feel you cook with love . God keep guiding you. Kindest regards and thanks again for your recipes I enjoy them. Rutj
Simple and absolutely delicious! Subbed half and half and I don’t feel like I missed out- creamy and satisfying.
Would this work with skim milk?
Hi Susan, You could try it, but I would probably add a 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the onion mixture after it is cooked. You would cook the flour/onion mixture a few minutes before adding the wine, then proceed with the recipe. This will help thicken it up.
Tried it with the skim and it was very good – even better the second day. Thanks
Delicious! Perfect with half and half cream. So so good.
I had one question about adding the white wine, the recipe says cook until “dissolved”. What is dissolving, the vegetables or did you mean until the wine is almost completely reduced? Looking forward to trying this, it looks great!
Hi David, Yes, cook until the wine is almost completely reduced. I will clarify in the recipe. Thx!
Just made this for dinner, awesome! Of course could not find Gruyere at our local SW, but Parmesan worked well. Thanks!
Curious where the “high” carb count per serving is coming from… the croutons? If so, what would be the approximate carb count per serving if croutons are omitted? Will definitely make this! Another winner from Jenn!
Hi MC, Here’s the nutritional data without the croutons: 363 calories, Fat 29g, Sat Fat 17g, Carbs 14g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 4g, Protein 13g, Sodium 568mg, Cholesterol 133mg
Hope that helps!