Creamy Broccoli Soup Makeover

Spoiler alert: The secret ingredient in this creamy, cream-less broccoli soup is cannellini beans.

Rich, flavorful, and light in calories, this healthy cream of broccoli soup makeover gets it’s creaminess from beans and no actual cream at all.

Every spoonful of this soup tastes like summer.

[Tweet “For #MeatlessMonday try this Creamy Broccoli Soup Makeover (secret ingr. = cannellini #beans)”]

I was inspired to create this Meatless Monday, easy-to-make recipe for several reasons:

> I don’t like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when it’s hot outside and when I’d rather be outside.

> I had a bunch of fresh herbs in my fridge that I wanted to use up.

> It’s ridiculously nutritious.

> It’s one of those recipes that kids—even those who tend to shun green foods—will love, especially when they can top it with croutons, shredded cheese, plain Greek yogurt, and fresh herbs.

… And it’s vegetarian and gluten-free (as long as you don’t add croutons).

For the soup, I turned to my freezer for the broccoli and petite peas, my pantry for the can of cannellini beans and the all-natural vegetable broth, and my fridge for the green onions (they’re easier to chop than an onion and are my current go-to time saver in the kitchen) and fragrant fresh herbs.

Creamy Broccoli Soup Makeover

 

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 6

• Serving size: 1 generous cup
• Calories: 150

• Fat: 2.5g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Sodium: 470mg
• Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 7g

Recipe type: Soup

Save Print

Soup in summer is AOK as far as I'm concerned, especially when it's made with vibrant green veggies and lots of fresh herbs. This recipe is pretty flexible, so if you want to add 4 tablespoons of mint only or just the tarragon (or double the herbs), you certainly can. And you can certainly use fresh broccoli and peas too.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 green onions, trim 1 inch off ends and then cut into thin rounds (about ¾ cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• One 16-ounce bag frozen broccoli florets
• One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• One 32-ounce carton all-natural vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
• Optional Toppers: Croutons, shredded cheese, plain Greek yogurt, additional chopped herbs and green onion

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Add the broccoli, beans, and broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
3. Add the peas and herbs, and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, let cool slightly, transfer to a blender, and puree in batches until very smooth. Re-heat the soup until warmed through.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve in individual bowls with optional toppers.

Notes

You'll get 50% of your daily requirement for vitamin C in every serving!

3.5.3226