Fall

Broccoli Apple Soup

May 16, 2011
4.4
5 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

This soup is delicious and comforting (and cheap!). A dear family friend, Ralph, created it and shared the basis of it with me. It's such a favorite that an artist was commissioned to paint a picture of the ingredients! A few simple ingredients come together beautifully and you have a bowl full of warmth and love. —BlueKaleRoad

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Ingredients
  • 1 large head of broccoli
  • 3 large apples (Golden Delicious or McIntosh are good)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • plain yogurt to garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. Cut the broccoli florets off the stalk and set aside. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Peel the apples, core and cut into 1-inch pieces.
  2. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and apple chunks. Saute about 6 minutes. Add the broth and the broccoli stalks. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the broccoli florets to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with yogurt if using.
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I am a passionate home cook and love gathering my family and friends around the table.

41 Reviews

Cooking123 November 17, 2020
Hi. Made this last night. I have a made it a few times before. It’s simple and delicious. We found it a bit of a challenge with digestion but well worth it!
Bevi December 27, 2018
I made this soup today, using an abundance of broccoli florets. It was delicious. I added some cheese rinds for a little extra richness. Delicious!
BlueKaleRoad December 27, 2018
Hi Bevi! Adding cheese rinds is a terrific idea. I have some stashed in the fridge so will use them next time. I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup! Happy New Year to you :)
Bevi December 28, 2018
And to you!
Adrienne W. December 22, 2015
Lovely and light. Added a splash of lemon juice when I took it off the heat and a another splash of cream to my bowl. Delicious!
BlueKaleRoad December 22, 2015
Thank you, Adrienne! I'm so glad you like the soup. Your addition of lemon and cream sounds marvelous.
Yana A. March 10, 2015
Delicious! The broccoli and apples balance each other in a really refreshing way (hot or cold). I added a 1/4 cup of heavy cream to thicken it for the cold Ithaca winter and it worked really well!
danybob May 20, 2014
Definitely one of my favorite recipes. If we're feeling particularly noshie, my fiance and I and serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich (whole wheat, a little gruyere and a handful of spinach).
BlueKaleRoad May 21, 2014
I'm delighted you are enjoying the soup! Thank you for letting me know. And your grilled cheese sandwich sounds divine. I haven't added spinach before but will now!
Antigoni S. January 30, 2014
I made this over the weekend and it was quite a hit! I simmered a parmesan rind with it and added some marjoram and a smidge of apple cider vinegar for a bit of a acid! So yummy, thanks for the great idea!
BlueKaleRoad January 30, 2014
I'm delighted you made the soup and enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. I love that you added the parmesan rind...I'm keeping that in mind. And a splash of cider vinegar sounds terrific. I appreciate you sharing your tips.
Suzan Z. January 5, 2014
Any idea of a calorie count for this? I'll bet it is low without cream etc/ but I'd be curious.
BlueKaleRoad January 6, 2014
Hi Susan, I don't know the calorie count, but I think you're right that it's pretty low. I hope you enjoy it if you make it! Happy 2014!
chankari December 9, 2013
Surprisingly delicious! I did epicurious this up a bit by using only stalks. I used 2 bunches of stalks instead of one full bunch of broccoli, then two very large apples and 4 cups of veg stock (enough to cover the broccoli and apples). I also used two shallots instead of onions. I agree that yogurt is beautiful in the soup and gives it a nice tang and cream. My new go to soup for the leftover broccoli stalks!
BlueKaleRoad December 10, 2013
I'm so happy you made the soup and enjoyed it! Love that you used broccoli stalks, too, and I'll do the same with my leftover stalks next time. Thanks for letting me know!
Erin P. December 4, 2013
Sorry, not a good cook here. Question about "Add the broth and the broccoli stalks." Where does this broth come from and how much do i use? Sounds delicious and i would like to try it but alittle confused.
BlueKaleRoad December 4, 2013
Hi Erin, I'm delighted you'd like to try the soup! The broth is listed in the ingredients (6 cups of vegetable broth). I hope you enjoy it and please let me know if you have other questions. :)
Maria December 1, 2013
can't wait to try this for my Christmas Party! Low sodium/fat/sugar! <3
BlueKaleRoad December 4, 2013
Hi Maria, I'm so happy you're going to make this soup for your party! The green color is perfect for Christmas, too. I hope you enjoy it!
Portia H. October 3, 2013
So unusual, and so perfect for fall! I just made a batch of chicken stock and made it with that. Bravo!
BlueKaleRoad October 3, 2013
Hi Portia, I'm delighted you made the soup! Thanks for letting me know. Love that you made it with homemade chicken stock - I need to get going on my stock making. :)
Wicko July 10, 2013
We thought this was Dee-lish us! Made it with homemade veg stock. Outrageous.
BlueKaleRoad July 11, 2013
Thank you, Wicko! I'm so happy you made this soup and enjoyed it. I'll bet the homemade stock made it even tastier.
drbabs April 8, 2012
Hey Blue Kale! Frank Bruni mentioned your soup in a New York Times article about broccoli today!
BlueKaleRoad April 9, 2012
Thanks for letting me know, drbabs! What a nice surprise!
meemee February 14, 2012
Made this the other night and yum! The apples with the broccoli gave the soup a nice sweetness and the yogurt was a must. i think the added yogurt mixed well with the sweetness of the apples and gave it a creamy flavor. My husband is a broccoli hater and he was a fan!
BlueKaleRoad February 14, 2012
I'm happy you enjoyed the soup, meemee, and delighted that your husband did, too!
Zim February 8, 2012
I just made this soup tonight...yumtastic. I used junami apples and chicken stock since i had just roasted a bird the other night and had fresh stock. The sweetness of the apples set the right counterbalance to the broccoli. I normally like heavy creamy soups, but this was light and great and went well with my steak (man cannot live by soup alone!)
BlueKaleRoad February 10, 2012
I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup, Zim! Pairing it with a steak does sound delicious and would be a hit with my family. I'm not familiar with junami apples - I'll have to look for those.
WFDoran January 29, 2012
I wiolltry adding some meat like shredded chicken or or a cubed ham steak to make this a total meal soup
BlueKaleRoad February 1, 2012
I like your suggestion, wfdoran - I hope you enjoy it!
slidedtd January 26, 2012
Making this for date night tomorrow :) can't wait to try
BlueKaleRoad January 26, 2012
I hope you like it, slidedtd - enjoy your date night! :)
AntoniaJames January 25, 2012
I made this last night, replacing two cups of veggie stock (at the very end) with two cups of homemade ricotta whey, from today's Wildcard winning recipe, in fact. I tasted a bit of the pureed soup before adding the whey; comparing with and without, I like it much more with the whey. I also added some lightly salted Greek yogurt; to my mind, the yogurt is essential. It helped offset the sweetness of the apples, making the broccoli more apparent. ;o)
BlueKaleRoad January 26, 2012
Thank you for sharing your tips, AJ! I have ricotta whey in my freezer and intend to follow your suggestion the next time I make this soup. I've used whey in bread making but not soups - love it! :)
susan G. January 23, 2012
Just what we needed for dinner tonight!
BlueKaleRoad January 23, 2012
I hope you enjoy it, Susan!
susan G. January 23, 2012
I made 1/2 the recipe and 2 of us went right through it, along with avocado 1/2's, a spicy cucumber salad (http://www.food52.com/recipes/15837_quick_garlic_ginger_pickles_with_tepin_pepper) and basmati rice. Simple, delicious and satisfying. Thanks for the soup.
Have you tried other vegetables?
BlueKaleRoad January 24, 2012
My pleasure, Susan - sounds like a lovely meal (the cucumber salad looks terrific). I haven't tried other vegetables. Fun to ponder some variations - perhaps cauliflower? Let me know if you try something new. :)
orlenda January 29, 2012
mmmm....i wonder how cooked green beans put in after the puree would be? add a liitle chew to the mix....
BlueKaleRoad February 1, 2012
Sounds delicious, orlenda - let me know if you try it!