Broccoli loves the cooler weather as we roll from fall into winter here in NC. Pairing broccoli with apple may be surprising, but it turns out to be a really creamy and delicious soup. The apples sweet and tartness blend to hide away any bitterness the broccoli might have and help make the soup creamy with no cream. Ok, there is butter - but you can substitute that for margarine if you’d like a dairy-free soup.

broccoli apple soup

prep time: 10 min
cook time: 40 min
4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli 

3 tbsps butter

1 cup yellow or white onion

1 good cooking apple
(a non-tart apple such as Jonagold, Golden Delicious, McIntosh)

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup unfiltered apple juice or apple cider

4 sprigs thyme
or lemon thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

optional:

2 long strips lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh chives

Preparation

1. Prep the broccoli. Separate the broccoli florets from the stems and cut into small pieces. Slice the stems into rounds and chop finely (a great time to use a food processor).

2. Prep the onion. Cut 1 yellow or white onion into thin slices or fine chopped.

3. Prep the apple. Peel, core and chop 1 apple.

4. Cook the sliced onions and apples in butter, vegan margarine or oil in your soup pot. Recommended to use a thick-bottomed medium large (4-quart) saucepan on medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan. Add the onion and the apple and lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and apples are softened.

5. Add broccoli, stock, and cider. Add the broccoli florets and the chopped broccoli to the apple onion mixture. Add the stock and the cider.

6. Add thyme and lemon zest. Tie up the thyme sprigs with kitchen string and add to the pot. Add strips of lemon zest to the pot as well.

7. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer, covered. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

8. Remove from heat. Remove from heat. Remove thyme and lemon peels from the soup (discard in your compost :)! Puree soup. Use an immersion blender or transferring into a blender by working in batches, filling up the blender bowl to no more than one third full at a time.

9. Return soup to the pot, reheat and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh chives to serve.

   
   

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