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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Hi! Any suggestions as to a replacement for the wine. Do not drink or use alcohol in cooking (religious reasons).
Huge fan of all your recipes! Especially buttermilk fried chicken!
Thanks!
Farrah, you could just replace the wine with an equivalent amount of chicken broth or white wine vinegar.
We don’t drink any alcohol. Is it possible to make this soup without the wine?
Yes Afrin, you could just replace the wine with an equivalent amount of chicken broth or white wine vinegar.
I made your classic tomato soup and LOVED IT!!! My husband was surprised that cream/milk was not in the recipe, and yet it was so creamy!! I would like to make this soup, but my husband has lactose intolerance. Would it be possible to substitute FairLife milk 2% instead of the 1/2 and 1/2 or whipping cream. If not, any suggestions?? Thank you
Yes Amy, you could use the FairLife 2% milk– the soup just won’t be as creamy.
This is one of my favorite soups. If we go out to eat and it’s offered, I always order it, but I never looks as good as this. I really want to make this but I do have one problem. I don’t own one of those “stick blenders” , could I put it in my regular blender? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Robin, Yes, that will work well.
another-awesome recipe! thank you!!! I used only half a cup of the cream and it was still so yummy! Best broccoli soup!
I have made this soup a couple of times and it was delicious, but somehow I made it with cauliflower. Was it posted initially as cauliflower soup? Yesterday was a bit chilly here in Toronto so I decided to make “cauliflower” soup, and that’s when I discovered it was broccoli soup! Anyway, it is delicious with cauliflower and that’s what I am having for dinner tonight!
SOOOOO amazing – I bought an immersion blender just so I could make this on a more regular basis.
Is it possible to make the broccoli and cheese soup without cream? If so, what do you suggest?
Hi Kate, You could definitely use milk (or half-and-half) but it won’t be as creamy.
For this recipe I skipped the croutons and used some roughly crushed tortilla chips as that is what I had. I used low sodium veggie broth. I also substituted white pepper for black, cheddar cheese, and used 1/2 and 1/2.
I love broccoli and cheese soup and my first attempt at making it myself was fantastic! The Gruyere cheese makes it taste delicious without leaving a potent cheesy after taste. The only thing I did not make were the croutons as we are not eating bread in the home. This is going to become a staple soup recipe to be made over and over for a quick lunch through the week!