Parmesan Broccoli Soup is the perfect dish to usher you out of the depths of winter and lead you into spring.
Why is Parmesan Broccoli Soup the book-inspired recipe for The Plot?
In The Plot, there’s a green soup that wife Anna makes for main character Jacob when he’s feeling down and out.
After this family-favorite meal came up few times in the novel, I was like, Okay, a “green soup” NEEDS to be the book-inspired recipe for this story.
Thankfully, I’ve been making Parmesan Broccoli Soup for years.
And, as you can see, you can’t get much greener than this.
A light and healthy soup
Soups are comfort food classics, but so many of them are laden with thick cream or a roux-based cheese sauce.
Those ingredients make the end product delicious, but they can also weigh the soups down, making them greasy and heavy, particularly when reheated.
That’s why Parmesan Broccoli Soup is such a refreshing change.
It’s light and fresh, chock-full of bright veggie flavor, yet still hearty and comforting like a good soup should be.
Why I love Parmesan Broccoli Soup
Parmesan Broccoli Soup is a “shortcut soup.” Which I have no shame about. I mean, sometimes you just don’t want to stand in front of a stove for hours.
This dish comes together in under an hour, which makes it perfect for weekly meal prep or cooking during your lunch hour the day you want to serve it.
What’s the secret to Parmesan Broccoli Soup? It’s the key shortcut ingredient: microwave-steam broccoli. I promise that you won’t taste a difference if you use good quality frozen broccoli instead of fresh.
The remainder of the recipe uses only a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably have at home right now: chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, and dried spices.
That’s it! THAT’S IT.
Despite its quick cooking time, Parmesan Broccoli Soup tastes healthy and full of flavor, like it’s been simmering for hours instead of only minutes.
I jokingly refer to it as my “detox soup” because it’s probably one of the healthiest recipes I make. I can slurp up a large bowl of it without any guilt whatsoever about what I’ve just had for lunch.
You should note that we sometimes call this Lemon Parmesan Broccoli Soup in my home. That’s because I like to squeeze a little lemon juice into my bowl. Mr Tart, however, prefers the soup straight up, so I don’t add the lemon juice into the entire pot.
Either way, lemon or no lemon, it’s going to be delicious.
What do you serve with Parmesan Broccoli Soup?
If you’re craving a little bit o’ carbs with your meal, serve Parmesan Broccoli Soup with some crusty bread, Savory Thyme and Caraway Biscuits, Sally Lunn Buns, or crostini (which you can easily make at home… though I more easily bought it at my grocery store).
Parmesan Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 3 12-oz bags of microwave-steamable broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon (optional)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Microwave the steamable bags of broccoli florets one at a time, cooking 1-2 minutes under recommended time listed on the package directions. Drain each bag after cooking, then place steamed broccoli in a large Dutch oven.
- While the broccoli is cooking, grate the Parmesan cheese.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the Dutch oven containing the drained, steamed broccoli on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly, to cook off any excess water.
- Once most of the water has evaporated, add the olive oil, pepper, salt, and onion powder to the pan. Stir broccoli so it’s evenly covered with the oil and spices.
- Spread the broccoli in an even layer across the bottom of the Dutch oven and cook about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. You want the broccoli florets to sear and get a little brown. The bottom of your Dutch oven should get brown, too. Just keep an eye on the florets to make sure nothing starts to burn.
- Slowly pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth to de-glaze the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the remaining 4 cups of broth. Raise heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the stove and remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Let soup cool at least 10 minutes, then use a stick blender to blitz the soup into your desired consistency. I prefer a very smooth soup with only a few chunks of broccoli remaining.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and place the Dutch oven back over low heat. Heat soup until simmering and the cheese has melted into the soup. Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon, if desired.
