Broccoli zucchini soup is creamy, delicious and so easy to make! This healthy recipe is dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free! The blended zucchini is what makes this soup silky smooth.
Zucchini recipes are popular at the end of summer and into the fall season. This broccoli zucchini soup is perfect to make in early fall and throughout the winter! It is cozy and comforting but not too heavy.
If you make this tasty vegetarian soup towards the end of summer it will pair well with watermelon, arugula and goat cheese salad. During the cooler months, it will go well with roasted beet and butternut squash salad, or these air fryer garlic knots.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This comforting soup is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan!
- It only takes 40 minutes to make.
- You can eat this for lunch or dinner. It is also great for meal prep!
- You can use fresh or frozen broccoli.
Equipment Notes
- Dutch oven or large pot. Dutch ovens tend to distribute heat more evenly throughout the cooking process.
- Immersion blender, food processor or regular blender - I love using the hand held immersion blender because you can blend the soup right in the dutch oven or large pot it cooks in. If you use a food processor or regular blender, make sure to work in smaller batch and be careful transferring the hot soup!
Ingredient Notes
- Yellow onion - you can use red onion or shallots for a slightly different flavor.
- Carrot - this adds a little bit of sweetness and helps balance out the flavors.
- Broccoli florets - I like using fresh broccoli but you can also use frozen!
- Zucchini - Also known as Courgette. Use small to medium sized zucchini for the best flavor.
- Garlic - I recommend using 4-6 cloves but feel free to "measure with your heart."
- Vegetable broth - use store bought or homemade vegetable scrap broth.
- Nutritional yeast - helps create the slight "cheesy" flavor. I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's but you should be able to find this in most grocery stores. Bragg is a popular brand!
- Spices - sea salt, dill, garlic powder, onion powder and freshly ground black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Broccoli - use fresh or frozen broccoli! Make sure the frozen broccoli has cooked (pierce it with a fork) before you start to blend the soup
- Vegetable broth - I like using veggie broth to keep this recipe vegan, however you may substitute chicken broth if that suites you more!
- Chunky - you can serve the soup as is and skip the blending step! Alternatively, before blending the soup, scoop out about a cup of the vegetables. Blend the rest and stir the whole vegetables back in before serving.
- Spicy - Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes along with the spices. For extra spice, top off the soup with jalapeño slices and a drizzle of homemade garlic chili oil.
- Crunchy - Make a batch of roasted crispy cannellini beans and add them as a topping!
- Cheesy - stir in ¼ cup to ½ cup of vegan cheddar cheese or regular cheddar cheese if you're not vegan.
Step by Step Instructions
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, zucchini and spices. Sauté for 5 minutes until veggies have started to soften.
Add the broccoli florets and garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and nutritional yeast. Bring the broccoli zucchini soup to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Blend the soup using a hand held immersion blender, food processor or regular blender. You may have to work in batches Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!
Top tip
Look for small to medium sized zucchini to use in this recipe. Larger zucchini tend to have more seeds. The small-medium sized zucchini will help make the soup more silky and creamy in texture and flavor!
Storing, Freezing & Reheating
Store the broccoli zucchini soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow the soup to fully cool before freezing it. Place the creamy vegan soup in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Broccoli zucchini soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. I recommend using the stovetop if you are reheating from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes broccoli and zucchini go well together. They are both packed with vital nutrients. They can be roasted together, sautéed or blended into a soup!
Yes this soup can be frozen. Make sure it has cooled off to at least room temperature before freezing. Store the soup in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 6 months.
No zucchini does not brown after it is cut. It can be cut and stored in the crisper of your refrigerator for up to to three days.
Creamy Broccoli Zucchini Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 small-medium zucchini diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4-6 cloves of garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- fresh dill for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, zucchini, salt, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables being to soften.
- Add the broccoli florets and minced garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and nutritional yeast. Stir well.
- Bring the soup to a rapid simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the broccoli can be pieces with a fork.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender, food processor or hand held blender.
- Serve the soup and garnish with fresh dill and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Look for small to medium sized zucchini for the best flavor. They will have less seeds and help make the soup silky and creamy when blended.
- If using a blender or food processor, you may have to work in small batches. Be careful when transferring the soup.
Evi says
What a delicious, hearthwarming soup. I'm definitly gonna make this soup again and without thinking you've already ate 3 different veggies.
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Evi, thank you so much for the kind review! I love sneaking in extra veggies. I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup!
Sharon Faibish says
I loved this easy to make soup!
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Sharon, I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Claudia Ford says
This soup recipe looks delicious. How Important is the nutritional yeast. I’m trying to stay away from yeast
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Claudia, thank you so much! The yeast adds a "cheesy" flavor and will thicken up the soup a bit, bit I think this recipe will still be delicious without the yeast. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Helen says
That was delicious and so quick and easy to make! I followed your recipe to a tee, except for the garlic powder bit. I didn't add that, added a tad more fresh garlic instead. Thank you!
Emily Toshiko says
Hi Helen, thanks for leaving a comment! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the soup. The extra fresh garlic sounds delicious!
Nora says
I accidentally fully thawed my blanched broccoli and sliced summer squash/zucchini. Had intended on roasting them up, but they were mushy. This was a fantastic alternative. I added celery, used roasted onion stock, made rice to mix in after blending, and added crumbles of panela cheese when serving. This was a great basic base for cleaning out the fridge on a cooler August afternoon.
Emily Toshiko says
Soup to the rescue! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and it gave you inspiration for a delicious meal! Sometimes the "clean out the fridge" dinners are the best ones!
Anonymous says
I love the simple ingredients in this recipe. I will make this soup again and again!