Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup

🔍 Quick Look: Creamy Broccoli White Bean Soup

• ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
• 🎛️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 4
• 📊 Calories: ~359 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
• 👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Savory and garlicky, with earthy spices, gentle heat, and a bright lemon finish.
• 💪🏼 Nutrition: 25 grams of protein, 17 grams of fiber. Each serving provides 9 mg iron (50% of the Daily Value) and an estimated 170 mg magnesium (40% of the Daily Value).
• ⚕️Dietary features: Vegan, oil-free, nut-free, and soy-free (when made without the optional silken tofu or soy-based miso). Gluten-free when made with gluten-free broth.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy-steam, blend, and gently warm.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note

As a registered dietitian, I like building a soup around more than vegetables and broth. Here, white beans and pumpkin seeds add plant protein, fiber, iron, and magnesium, making this broccoli soup substantial enough for a meal.

The vitamin C pairing matters. White beans and pumpkin seeds provide nonheme iron, the form found in plant foods. Vitamin C helps your body absorb this iron. Broccoli contributes vitamin C, and fresh lemon juice and parsley add more at serving. Adding the lemon after cooking limits its exposure to heat.

Pumpkin seeds are also a useful source of magnesium, a mineral involved in muscle and nerve function and bone health. Soaking the seeds here is primarily a texture step: it helps them blend into a smoother soup.

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

These vegan Broccoli Soup is creamy, satisfying, and packed with plant protein. Plus, it's:

• Creamy without cream: White beans and blended pumpkin seeds create body and richness.
• Protein and fiber in the same bowl: White beans and pumpkin seeds add plant protein, while beans and broccoli contribute fiber.
• Made without added oil: A splash of broth softens the aromatics.
• Plenty of flavor: Cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic, and lemon keep every spoonful interesting.
• Optional extra texture: Black lentils bring contrast to the smooth broccoli base.
• Meal-prep friendly: Make the soup ahead and add fresh lemon and parsley when serving.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

• Broccoli: Use 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) broccoli crowns, weighed before trimming. Remove the thick stalks and cut the crowns into florets, keeping their small tender stems attached. You'll have approximately 8 to 10 cups, depending on floret size and how loosely you fill the cup. I use florets and their tender attached stems because they cook quickly and blend smoothly. Save the thick stalks: peel away the fibrous exterior, then shred the tender centers into slaw, slice them for stir-fries, or use them in my High-Protein Vegan Broccoli Soup, which includes the stems.
• White beans: Cannellini beans make a particularly creamy base. Great Northern or navy beans work too. Drain and rinse canned beans before blending.
• Black beluga lentils (optional topping): These small lentils hold their shape well and add an earthy flavor, protein, fiber, and iron. Cooking them separately keeps their dark cooking liquid out of the green soup.
• Raw hulled pumpkin seeds: Also called pepitas, these blend into the soup for extra creaminess, plant protein, and magnesium. Use the green kernels, not pumpkin seeds in their hard white shells.
• Onion and garlic: Soften the onion well before adding the garlic and spices to build a flavorful base.
• Oregano, cumin, and coriander: Dried oregano adds an herbal note, while cumin and coriander bring warmth. Crushed red pepper adds a little heat.
• Nutritional yeast: Adds savory, slightly cheesy flavor. Fortified varieties can also contribute B vitamins; check the label because amounts vary.
• Lemon and parsley: Lemon zest adds citrus aroma, while the juice balances the creamy beans and seeds. Fresh parsley finishes the soup with color and freshness.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🌱 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

• White beans: Use cannellini, navy, or Great Northern beans, or approximately 3 cups cooked white beans.
• Optional black lentils: Omit entirely, or use French green lentils are a good substitute because they also hold their shape. Avoid red lentils for this topping; they soften and break down.
• Pumpkin seeds: Substitute ⅓ cup raw hulled sunflower seeds, soaked and drained. The flavor will be slightly different.
• Fresh broccoli: Use the same weight of frozen broccoli florets. Add them directly to the pot and cook until tender.
• Oregano: Substitute an equal amount of dried thyme.
• Red pepper flakes: Reduce or omit for a milder soup.
• Nutritional yeast: Omit if needed, then adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.
• For extra protein and creaminess: Blend in 7 ounces silken tofu with the white beans and pumpkin seeds. Add more broth as needed.
• For extra savory flavor: Stir in 1 tablespoon white miso off the heat, dissolving it in a little warm soup first. Taste before adding salt.

🍋 Why Add Nutritonal Yeast and Lemon Off the Heat?

Nutritional yeast: Stir in off the heat to limit heat exposure of some B vitamins, particularly in fortified varieties.

Lemon juice: Add off the heat to keep its flavor bright and help preserve vitamin C, which supports iron absorption from the beans and pumpkin seeds.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips

Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store the soup for up to 4 days. If using lentils, store them separately.

Freeze: Freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers, storing any optional cooked lentils separately, for up to 3 months. Leave room for expansion.

Reheat: Warm the soup, stirring and adding broth as needed, until steaming hot throughout. Add fresh lemon and parsley just before serving. Roasted lentils soften during storage; reheat them in the oven to help dry and crisp them again.

🌿 More High-Protein Soup Recipes

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Easy Mushroom Tofu Soup is packed with umami flavor from shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and miso. 

This Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup is vegan, protein-rich, packed with flavor, and made in the oven! It's a hand-off recipe with minimal chopping and cleanup. 

This Vegan Creamy Mushroom Soup is vegan, protein-rich, packed with flavor, and made in the oven! It's a hand-off recipe with minimal chopping and cleanup.

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