This healthy roasted broccoli pesto soup is the easiest, hands-off dinner! You would never guess it’s dairy-free! All you have to do is chop the vegetables, roast on a sheet pan, blend, then heat! This ultra creamy, bake and blend soup is packed with nourishing ingredients, benefits gut health, and is perfect for vegan, paleo, and gluten free diets!
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This broccoli soup is a mix between Cream of Broccoli Soup, broccoli cheddar soup, and pesto soup.. essentially all of the best soups in one! Most broccoli soups require you to make a roux, which is flour and butter mixed and cooked together with a purpose of thickening the soup. This soup requires no roux, or real prep besides roughly chopping the broccoli and onion. It’s naturally thick and creamy from the mix of ingredients and raw cashews, which adds an incredible texture to the recipe.
One thing i’ve always struggled with living in the PNW, is how it’s cold 9 months out of the year. I guess the silver lining here, is that I get to make all the soups – my favorite comfort food! This healthy broccoli pesto soup is always on rotation. It’s thick and hearty but bright and fresh from the herbs. I never get over how easy it is to make. When I first made sheet pan soup, I was like “how have I lived without this!?” It’s so easy to just throw veggies in the oven, blend it up, and heat which also makes it the perfect quick meal for busy nights.
This soup is plant-based but can be made high protein by swapping in bone broth as the base. Bone broth is incredibly nourishing for your gut health, too. This soup gets its creaminess from raw cashews and a little coconut milk, but you can also add in cottage cheese or greek yogurt for extra creaminess and protein. It’s so versatile!
We add in a little nutrition yeast for cheesy flavor (gotta love broccoli cheddar soup!) which also makes a great vegan substitute for cheese. However, if you aren’t dairy-free, you can add in some fresh grated parmesan or even vegan parmesan for that real cheese flavor. All in all, there’s no better way to get your anti-inflammatory veggies in!
Why you’ll love this healthy broccoli soup
- One pan meals make the easiest dinners and this one makes a great meal prep.
- You can freeze this soup in soup cubes to easily defrost at later dates!
- It’s very easy to customize.
- This plant-based soup is so nutrient dense!
- This soup is creamy, hearty, and comforting.
- Sheet pan soup can be made high in protein.
- This broccoli pesto soup is vegan, gluten free, and paleo, so hopefully everyone with dietary restrictions can enjoy!
- It’s packed with gut-healthy ingredients and nutrients.
- All you have to do is bake and blend!
How to make broccoli soup on a sheet pan
Find the full ingredients list, measurements, & steps in the recipe card!
Equipment
- High powered blender: I LIVE for my Vitamix Blender. It is incredible and creates the smoothest soups!
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Soup pot or deep pan: For heating the soup!
Ingredients
- Broccoli: Fresh, raw broccoli works best here! Roasted broccoli soup was always one of my favorites, so getting it toasty in the oven really adds so much flavor to this soup!
- Bone broth: Bone broth is incredible for your gut and adds a bunch of protein to the recipe. If you are vegan, swap in your favorite veggie broth!
- Garlic cloves
- Yellow onion: I usually use a yellow onion, however when filming the video of this recipe that I share below, I used a red onion because it was what I had on hand. It was still delicious, but I do prefer the yellow onion!
- Fresh Basil: Since were going for a pesto vibe with this soup, we go in with fresh basil! You will need about a cup of loosely packed basil.
- Cashews or pine nuts: You can also use walnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds for a nut-free option. Cashews create the creamiest soup, but they are a sweet nut. If you want something more
- Spices: Sea salt, pepper
- Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast not only adds a cheesy flavor to the recipe, but also B12! You can find it at most grocery stores like Kroger, Whole foods, & Safeway. However, you can always sub parmesan (vegan or regular dairy parmesan!).
Steps to make healthy broccoli soup
- Bake the veggies: This is the most labor-intensive part and is still quick! All you have to do is roughly chop the veggies and add them to a sheet pan. They don’t have to be perfect since it’s all going to get blended anyway! After everything’s spread out on the sheet pan, throw it in the oven at 375F to bake!
- Blend the soup: Once everything is all baked, add the veggies to your blender with the remaining ingredients like spices, broth, and nuts, and blend a few minutes until smooth.
- Heat: When ready to eat, simply pour the soup into your pan. Heat and serve!
FAQ’s, tips, & trics
- Can you meal prep broccoli pesto soup? YES! This soup makes an amazing meal prep. You can even divide it into portions and freeze it separately.
- How to serve broccoli soup: I like to serve my broccoli soup with a little dairy-free sour cream swirl, some fresh chopped basil, and sprinkle of red pepper. There’s nothing better than serving hot soup with toasty sourdough bread, too!
- How to store leftover broccoli pesto soup: Broccoli soup will last up to weeks in an air-tight container in the fridge and can last up to 2 months in the freezer. I love storing soup in the freezer in these soup cubes! It makes defrosting and serving so easy!
Serving suggestions
- I like to serve my healthy soup with a slice of crunchy, toasty sourdough bread!
- Add a drizzle of plant-based sour cream or yogurt.
- Sprinkle over some freshly chopped basil
- Top your soup with something crunchy! I love topping my soup with something crunchy for the sensory/texture aspect. Adding some pine nuts helps achieve that real pesto vibe and adds extra crunch!
- Top broccoli soup with croutons.
- I love a soup and salad combination. Serve healthy broccoli soup alongside a grilled chicken or tofu salad!
Other recipes you’ll love
- Vegan broccoli cheddar soup
- Healthy chicken pot pie soup (vegan options)
- Roasted greek potatoes with whipped feta
- Vegan Roasted broccoli caesar salad
- Copycat Sweetgreen Crispy rice bowl
- Healthy vegan queso
- Copycat Bitchin’ Sauce
Healthy Roasted Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw broccoli, chopped into smaller pieces
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion *You can also sub a whole, chopped leek
- 4 small garlic cloves
- 2 cups loosely packed basil
- 3/4 cup cashews or pine nuts
- 2 3/4 cups bone broth or veggie broth
- 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk *can use other milk. I like to add this as it makes it creamier! Can also sub cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt/sour cream.
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast *or 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
- 3 tbsp lemon juice *about the juice from 1 large lemon
- pinch red pepper *optional
- 1-1 1/2 tsp sea salt *to taste. Add more if needed! I use celtic salt for it's benefits!
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep the veggies
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the broccoli into small stalks. Cut the ends off of the onion and peel the outer layer off. Cut the onion in half and then slice the halves into thinner slices. Add the broccoli and onion to the sheet pan, spreading it out. Sprinkle the garlic cloves over top.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables. You can also season with sea salt & pepper here. Sometimes I like to throw the cashews on the pan closer to the end of the baking process (last 5-10 mins) to add more toasty flavor, but this is optional! Don't leave them in there for the entire time (and blending them in raw tastes just as good).
Bake the veggies
- Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, until the broccoli is browned and a little toasty – don't let it blacken at all. The time will vary based on your oven, just keep an eye on it as you don't want the broccoli to burn. The onions should have softened a bit.
- Once the veggies are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for five minutes or so.
Blend the soup
- Add all of baked veggies to your high powered blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend for a minute or two until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Pour the soup into a soup pot or deep pan. Heat until warmed through and serve!
