Dairy-Free Keto Cream of Broccoli Soup

It’s the middle of winter, you’re chilled and tired and looking for a relatively simple and fast, but flavorful soup to warm you up… but WITHOUT flours, starches, milk, cream, or butter? You’ve come to the right place. Enjoy my tried-and-true dairy-free keto cream of broccoli soup!

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon ghee, chicken fat, olive or coconut oil
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or 3 cups water + 3 cubes bouillon)
1 head broccoli, stems peeled, diced, and florets cut into bite size pieces
1 cup canned full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg (optional, but it’s used in old-fashioned cream sauce/soup recipes to elevate the flavor)

DIRECTIONS

Open the can of coconut milk and place the contents into a glass bowl or large glass measuring cup (if the milk is solid, turn the can upside-down before opening for easier removal of contents). Heat the coconut milk for a few minutes on low by placing the bowl/cup in a saucepan filled with boiled water or into the microwave. If using the stove top method, keep stirring occasionally until the solid fat melts into the liquid. If microwaving, heat 1-2 minutes on 50% power. Set coconut milk aside.

In a small frying pan or skillet over medium-low heat, add the fat and let it melt until it starts to sizzle, add the chopped onion, and sauté until just starting to become fragrant and slightly translucent.

In a 3-4 quart soup pot, add the broth or water/bouillon and turn the heat up and let it come to the boil. If using the bouillon cubes, allow them to dissolve in the water.

To the pot of water, add the chopped broccoli, cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let cook until the broccoli is very tender, checking for doneness with a fork.

Once the broccoli is cooked, add the onion to the pot.

Next, add the coconut milk and whisk until most of the lumps are gone.

Using a stick blender, blend the mixture until the coconut milk, and broth smooths out and becomes creamy, and the broccoli and onion are pulsed very fine.

Add the nutmeg, and salt & pepper to taste, and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot and enjoy!

Makes 4 regular servings that will go perfectly with some lovely cut of meat, or 2 generous bowls for you and someone special (or a leftover serving just for you).

NOTES:

If desired, you can thicken this soup further without any flour or starch (and no xanthan gum!) Take the pot off the heat, and sprinkle a fine dusting of glucomannan (powdered konjac root) over the top of the soup. Let it rest a few moments, then use the stick blender once more to thicken. The glucomannan takes a moment to work, so don’t add too much at a time. The key is to really let it rest until the powder blooms on the soup’s surface (it looks like a gel coating with very fine bubbles).