Go Back
Bowl of broccoli soup topped with croutons.

Broccoli & Gruyère Soup with Homemade Croutons

By Jennifer Segal
This broccoli and Gruyère soup is pure cozy-in-a-bowl—rich, creamy, and just the thing to warm you up on a chilly night.
Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Soup

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 1¾ cups)
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 pound broccoli, florets and stems, roughly chopped
  • 4 cups (32 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half, for a lighter version)
  • 3 oz grated Gruyère (1 packed heaping cup)
  • Pinch nutmeg

For the Croutons

  • 2 cups cubed French bread, preferably day old
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Soup

  • Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the white wine and cook until almost completely reduced, a few minutes.
  • Add the broccoli, chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Add the heavy cream; then, use a hand held immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape.) Bring the soup to a simmer, then gradually stir in the cheese, stirring until melted. Add the nutmeg, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper). Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with croutons.

For the Croutons

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
  • Directly on the baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, tossing once, until the bread cubes are golden brown and crisp.

Notes

The soup thickens as it sits; add a bit of water to thin it out if necessary.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (6 servings)Calories: 414kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 13gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 700mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.