Italian Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Delicious Italian twist on a classic broccoli cheese soup. A few simple cheese substitutions like using combinations of Mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese mix, and grated Parmesan cheese to give it that Italian twist. I've also added fresh Italian parsley and oregano.
Servings: 4 (makes about 2 quarts)
Calories: 452kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli (3 stalks)
- 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less if you wish
- salt
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup shredded creamy Mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- more grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Easy and fast way to steam broccoli is in the microwave. Dice broccoli and spread it in one even layer on a large plate. If you have a microwave steam bowl with a lid, that’s perfect. I use a microwave plate cover but if you don’t have one, you can use another plate turned upside down to cover with just leave a little crack for steam. Microwave for about a minute and a half and set aside.
- In a medium pot, heat up oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and shredded carrot. Saute until onion is transparent.
- Smash and dice garlic and add it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour and mix until veggies are coated with flour.
- Slowly pour in stock while constantly but slowly stirring. Let it heat through. Add heavy cream and stir.
- Add salt, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, and oregano. Stir well.
- Let soup heat through and get to simmer. Once it starts to simmer, start adding cheeses.
- Add cheeses while slowly stirring. Cook and stir slowly until cheeses are all melted.
- Stir in broccoli. Lower the heat to low and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Top each bowl with some grated Parmesan cheese and your choice of croutons of bread.
Notes
- Gluten Free: you can easily make this soup gluten free by simply substituting 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour instead of regular flour.
- Using Frozen Broccoli: While it’s best to use fresh broccoli, you can still use frozen broccoli if you’d like. Just make sure the broccoli is fully thawed. Make sure to strain off all the accumulated liquids before chopping it and adding it to the soup, and it’ll be good to go. The good thing about using frozen broccoli is that it’s softer so you don’t need to steam it, just cook it in soup a few extra minutes.
- Heavy whipping cream – for the best rich and creamy texture, do use heavy whipping cream. If you have to substitute, use half and half but note that the soup will not be as creamy.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6525IU | Vitamin C: 109.6mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 2.4mg