Roasted Broccoli and Potato Soup

This broccoli soup is not your average boring soup. Here, the broccoli is roasted until just starting to char, giving a hint of caramel while preserving the fresh taste of broccoli.

Potato is added to give more body to the soup, all without the need for adding cream and keeping the soup vegan-friendly.

For an extra punch of flavor, I’m adding zest and juice from one lemon, and a little bit of chili powder for that spicy kick, though you won’t really notice its spiciness.

Ingredients for this roasted broccoli and potato soup

We will need broccoli, olive oil, unsalted butter, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, red chili powder, potato, lemon (for zest and juice).

I use broccoli florets in the photos, but you can use whole broccoli too, florets and stems, as long as you keep using the same amount.

For lemon, you can use regular lemon or Meyer lemon. Regular lemon will give you a more tangy lemon result, and Meyer lemon will be milder. Both will give you equally delicious soup, so use whichever lemon you have at home.

For garnish, you can either add grated Parmesan or if you want to keep the soup vegan-friendly and gluten-free, you can use the same amount of nutritional yeast instead.

Roasting broccoli

To roast broccoli, first, preheat your oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 Celsius).

Gently toss broccoli with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and spread into a single layer in a baking sheet. I use a half-sheet pan and it is just the right size for a 2-lb broccoli floret. You may need to use two sheets if your baking sheet/pan is smaller.

Roast the broccoli in the preheated oven until the broccoli starts to char. It should take around 20-25 minutes.

Remove the slightly charred broccoli from the oven and we can start cooking our soup.

How to cook this roasted broccoli soup

First, melt butter and olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and red chili powder. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Next, add thinly sliced potatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Next, add roasted broccoli, then cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the vegetable is soft.

Use a blender (regular or immersion) and roughly puree the soup, leaving small chunks of vegetables for texture.

Finally, stir in lemon juice and lemon zest, and finish with grated parmesan (or nutritional yeast), a drizzle of olive oil, and extra salt and pepper (if needed).

Alternative ways to prepare the soup

1. Searing instead of roasting

If you wish, you can sear the broccoli instead of roasting. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat, then add broccoli to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Let the broccoli sit on the hot pan for about 3-4 minutes until the bottom is browned. Repeat until all the broccoli is used up.

2. Use zucchini instead of broccoli

In summer when zucchini is in season, you can use this same exact recipe to prepare roasted zucchini soup. Simply use the same amount of zucchini and follow the rest of the recipe.

3. Chili flakes instead of chili powder

If you want the chili to be more noticeable, you can also use chili flakes too. The same amount should give about the same heat. And if you wish, feel free to increase the amount of chili powder/chili flakes for a spicier soup.