Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup

Everyone loves a warm bowl of soup on a cold rainy day. This cream of broccoli leaf soup is easy, delicious, and a great way to use up fresh broccoli leaves, which are often an under-appreciated part of the garden! With a creamy texture and just a few simple ingredients, even your kids will be begging for another bowl of this tasty soup.

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When I first started growing broccoli, I couldn’t believe how big each plant got and how much space this crop took up in my garden! I had always just bought my broccoli from the store (often just the crowns), so I had no real concept of what an entire broccoli plant even looked like.

So when it came time to harvest our first broccoli crop, I was a bit sad that so much of the plant went to waste when we harvested just the broccoli florets in the middle. The bulk of the plant was made up by the broccoli leaves, and as far as I knew at that time, the leaves weren’t edible.

Fast forward a few years later and I now know that broccoli leaves are not only edible, they’re delicious (and packed full of nutrients too). They taste pretty much just like the broccoli florets with just a leafier, um, texture. Sort of like kale. They can be used in so many creative ways – sautéed in stir fries, dried and turned into powder, or blended into this alternative take on a standard cream of broccoli soup recipe. And the best part is, I now have way less waste from my fresh broccoli crop! We eat every edible part of the plant from the florets to the stalks to the leaves.

This is by far my favourite way to enjoy broccoli leaves. I used to make cream of broccoli soup all the time (and I still do), but now I prefer to use the leaves if possible to make them stretch in this creamy soup and use the broccoli florets in other ways. And it’s hard to even tell the difference between the standard cream of broccoli soup recipe and this cream of broccoli leaf soup. In fact, I served it to my husband Ryan last night and he didn’t even notice I’d used leaves instead of florets.

But the biggest win for me is that my two-year-old daughter loves this soup so much she begs for more. Which is HUGE considering we are right in the thick of the “vegetable phobia” stage of life. She wouldn’t touch broccoli leaves if I sautéed them and served it to her whole or in a stir-fry, but she loves the flavour of this soup and the broccoli leaves are blended right in so she’s oblivious to the fact that she’s actually eating vegetables.

But what to do if you don’t grow your own fresh broccoli? Where do you go to find broccoli leaves?

Well, since there’s still some strange stigma that the leaves are somehow inferior to the florets, most markets discard them, which means you might be able to get your hands on some for free.

My local farm market has a bin labeled “greens” beneath the fresh produce, where shoppers discard the broccoli leaves they pull off of the florets. Last year I asked if I could have them and they were more than happy to give them to me for free. So it’s always a good idea to ask at your local market! Otherwise you’re just going to have to grow your own (which I always encourage).

Broccoli can be grown as a summer or fall crop, so chances are you could be harvesting some from your own garden in just a few months if you get started now.

If you’re really hard-pressed to find broccoli leaves, you can always sub out the leaves in this recipe for regular broccoli florets. This soup is delish either way. But if you are looking for a way to use up those broccoli leaves and create less waste, this delicious recipe is for you!

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Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup

Yield: 12 servings

4.5 Stars (26 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of broccoli leaves (healthy leaves from about 3 or 4 plants) or approx. 8 cups chopped leaves
• 3 quarts of chicken broth (or substitute vegetable broth)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped, ends discarded
• 1 cup of butter, divided (½ cup for sautéing veggies and ½ cup to make a roux)
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• salt & black pepper to taste
• shredded cheddar cheese to top

Instructions

1. First, make your chicken broth or vegetable broth if you’re making it from scratch. Otherwise, dump 3 quarts of chicken or vegetable broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a pan and get ready to sauté your vegetables.
2. Discard any brown or yellowing leaves and chop off any rough, hard ends on the broccoli stems. Chop broccoli leaves into small pieces set aside. Chop and discard celery ends and then roughly chop your celery and onion. Add celery and onion to the pan with your melted butter and sauté until translucent but not brown. Add cooked celery and onions to your broth.
3. Add another tablespoon of butter to your pan and a handful or two of chopped broccoli leaves and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid to help steam and sauté on medium heat until leaves are wilted and broccoli stalks are tender, then add them to your broth. Continue to do this with the broccoli leaves, sautéing in batches until they’ve all been cooked and added to your broth.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend your hot soup together until there are no large chunks of the broccoli mixture left. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be careful not to fill it too full as it could overflow when the hot liquids and broccoli mixture are blended together.
5. Next, make your roux. (A roux is simply a thickener for soups and stews made from butter and flour). Melt ½ cup of butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of all purpose flour and whisk together, stirring constantly. Add heavy cream, one cup at a time, whisking briskly until ingredients are well combined and mixture has a smooth and creamy texture. Continue doing this until you’ve added all 4 cups of heavy cream. Then add your roux to your soup and stir well to combine. Bring soup back up to a simmer for a few minutes and allow it to thicken.
6. Turn heat off and add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot soup topped with a little shredded cheddar cheese, or even add some homemade croutons or a slice of crusty bread!

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