Broccoli stalk soup is creamy, delicious & full of broccoli flavour. It uses up all those broccoli stems you're not sure what to do with and together with some potatoes, celery and onions creates nourishing hug in a bowl.
If you enjoy broccoli but struggle coming up with ideas for their stalks then you've come to the right place.
This super simple broccoli and potato soup uses only broccoli stems which keeps them away from compost heap or even worse - the bin.
Potatoes help adding substance and creaminess to this soup without need for any dairy.
This soup is now a true staple in our house and I collect broccoli stalks specifically to make it. I hope I might be able to encourage you to do the same.
Jump to:
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It helps to reduce waste.
- You will never have to think what to do with broccoli stalks again.
- The soup is filling, nutritious and really delicious too.
- Favourite with the kids.
- Perfect for making ahead, meal-prep.
- Freezer friendly.
- Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free.
📝 Ingredients and substitutes
Here's what you will need to make my Broccoli Stalk Soup:
Broccoli Stalks (Stems) - I used 1 kg worth of stalks here (500g after trimming) but as we do eat a lot of broccoli it doesn't take me long to collect them.
Quick tip: Feel free to make up the weight with whole fresh broccoli or (to keep the cost down) with some frozen broccoli florets.
Potatoes - I like to bulk up the soup by adding some potatoes which will also make it nice and creamy once you've pureed it.
Celery - Extra flavour and nutrition. I add celery as a base to most of my soups.
Onions - I've used some sweet shallots here but any type of yellow or red onion will be fine. You can also use leek as a substitute.
Garlic - Flavour.
Vegetable stock - Either homemade or from stock cube is fine. You can also use vegetable bouillon which is what I've been using lately.
Fresh Thyme - Feel free to use dried instead. Some oregano would also work nicely here.
Salt and Pepper
Optional Extras - Feel free to add in some nutritional yeast or grated vegan cheese for that bit of cheesy flavour.
🔪 Instructions
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🥦 Preparing broccoli stalks
Using sharp knife, cut woody end of the stalk first.
Next, stand broccoli stem up right and slice off woody outer layers which are quite tough and fibrous. If you prefer, you can use sharp vegetable peeler here instead.
Cut peeled stalk into small chunks.
Quick Tip: At this point you can use prepared stalks in the soup or alternatively you can freeze them for later. Keep adding more to the freezer bag as you collect them until you've got enough to use in the recipe.
🍲 Making soup
Heat couple of tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan with a lid.
Add chopped onion, celery, garlic and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent but not too coloured. Stir often to prevent vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan (5-8min). Feel free to add a splash of water to help veggies along if the pan is getting too dry.
Next, add prepared broccoli stalks, potatoes and fresh or dried thyme followed by vegetable stock.
Bring the soup to boil, cover, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and puree the soup to desired consistency with a hand blender.
Quick Tip: If you find the soup too thick, feel free to adjust its consistency by adding a bit more stock or perhaps some vegan cream.
Serve and enjoy with your choice of yummy toppings.
🥡 Storing
Broccoli stalk soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This soup is also great for freezing in the freezer friendly container or reusable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Quick Tip: When freezing, make sure you allow for the slight liquid expansion and never fill your bag or container all the way to the top.
💭 Pro tips
Feel free to use entire head of broccoli in case you don't have enough stalks saved up to make up the weight.
Add florets later as they cook much quicker than the stalks and the potatoes and to preserve their nice, vibrant green colour.
Keep your peeled and cut potatoes in water until needed to prevent them from going brown.
Keep broccoli stalks and potatoes similar size for even cooking.
Be careful when adjusting seasoning. The amount of salt will depend on the saltiness of your vegetable stock.
Add some nutritional yeast to the soup before pureeing for that bit of cheesy flavour (optional). Alternatively, you could stir in some grated vegan cheese of your choice instead (best to do it after pureeing).
🍴 Serving suggestions
My vegan broccoli soup is super simple and it's perfect as is or perhaps with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
For the fans of crunchy toppings I would highly recommend serving it with some homemade croutons or crispy chickpeas.
Another fantastic topping would be roasted broccoli florets. So so good!
Sometimes I like to add a sprinkle of my vegan parmesan or a gentle drizzle of vegan cream - both delicious.
And don't forget some freshly ground black pepper!
❓ FAQ
There are so many delicious ways of using broccoli stalks:
- Pesto
- Roast and blend with some chickpeas to make a hummus.
- Enjoy roasted with your favourite seasoning as a simple side dish.
- Use in stir fries.
- Add to slaws together with cabbage and carrots.
Yes you do as the outer layer of the stalk is quite woody and really not very nice if you were to consume it. You want to peel it to get to the soft, light green flesh underneath.
No you don't. They can be eaten raw, grated into salads and slaws.
Have you tried my Broccoli Stalk Soup?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
📋 Recipe
Broccoli Stalk Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 500 g prepared broccoli stalks (peeled weight) trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks
- 150 g onion roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced or finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks roughly chopped
- 250 g potatoes (weight before peeling) peeled, and cut into chunks
- 1 ltr vegetable stock stock or bouillon are fine
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped, see notes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparing Broccoli Stalks
- Using sharp knife, cut woody end of the stalk first.
- Next, stand broccoli stem up right and slice off woody outer layers which are quite tough and fibrous. If you prefer you can use sharp vegetable peeler here instead.
- Cut peeled stalk into small chunks.
Making Soup
- Heat couple of tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan with a lid.2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add chopped onion, celery and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured stirring often to prevent vegetables from colouring too much (5-8min). Feel free to add a splash of water to help veggies along if the pan is getting too dry.150 g onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 celery sticks
- Next, add prepared broccoli stalks, potatoes and fresh or dried thyme followed by vegetable stock.500 g prepared broccoli stalks (peeled weight), 250 g potatoes (weight before peeling), 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 ltr vegetable stock
- Bring the soup to boil, cover, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and puree the soup to desired consistency with a hand blender. Feel free to add more stock or perhaps some vegan cream if you find the soup too thick.salt and pepper
- Serve and enjoy with your choice of yummy toppings.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 4 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only. It doesn't include any toppings or extras.
- The soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Dried thyme can be used here instead. For other substitutes see - Ingredients and substitutes.
Please leave a comment & rating if you've made my recipe! Feel free to ask questions too, I reply to all!