Warm, creamy, and packed with flavor, this vegan broccoli tahini soup is the ultimate cozy winter recipe. Naturally gluten and dairy-free, it’s a healthy yet satisfying way to enjoy your greens all season long!
Looking for more cozy soups? Try my Jerusalem artichoke soup and butter bean soup, too.
During the coldest weeks of winter, no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to stay warm. I have a little space heater under my desk; it’s constantly on “high”, blowing warm air directly onto my sock-covered feet. I sip tea all day long and snuggle inside my sweater, dreaming about that Mediterranean vacation I took with my husband several summers ago. When fall arrives, I am always excited to welcome back the cold. I looked forward to the rain, the clouds, and that brief (and relatively mild) change of season we experience here in Southern California. But by the middle of winter, I’m more than ready for spring… it can’t get here fast enough!
The good news about soup weather is that it coaxes me into testing new recipes. I dream up soups all year long, even when it’s hot outside. I have a notebook where I scribble down recipe inspiration, and it’s full of soup ideas. Recently, I looked in the notebook and noticed a scribble I made several months ago:
Broccoli soup, thickened with potatoes. Tahini??
The idea may have occurred to me after making a batch of my Autumn Sweet Potato Soup, which is enhanced by peanut butter. If peanut butter can add richness and creaminess to soup, why not tahini (which is essentially sesame butter, or paste)? I decided to play around using up some ingredients I had in the fridge… broccoli, onion, garlic, a parsnip, and some fresh dill. After spicing it just so, I served a bowl to my husband. I didn’t expect to nail it on the first try, but he was thrilled. After two bowlfuls, he declared it one of his new favorites. I like it too. We’re trying to work more vegetables into our winter diet, and this soup is a perfect way to get our healthy cruciferous greens. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, yet also creamy and filling.
The soup is rich in protein and calcium thanks to the tahini paste. It’s health food that doesn’t really taste like health food. Think of it like a vegan cream of broccoli soup. I’m sure I’ll be making this one a few more times before soup season comes to a close.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Oil – I highly recommend using extra virgin olive oil. An excellent source of omega fats, it adds richness and helps soften the veggies.
- Onion and Garlic – These create a sweet, savory, pungent flavor base for the soup.
- Russet Potatoes and Parsnips – These add extra nutrients and fiber, along with a subtle sweetness. They also help thicken the soup without the need for dairy. For a thinner, more appetizer-like soup, reduce the amount of potatoes included.
- Vegetable Broth – I recommend using low-sodium broth so that you have better control over the flavor. If keeping this recipe vegan isn’t a concern, chicken broth also works.
- Broccoli – Use fresh whole heads of broccoli or pre-chopped broccoli florets. If needed, frozen broccoli will also work. Just be sure to thaw and drain it first, and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Herbs and Spices – Bay leaves, fresh dill, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cardamom, salt, and pepper create a rich, savory, herbaceous flavor with a subtle kick of heat.
- Tahini Paste – The star of the show! Use plain tahini paste made from raw sesame seeds for the best results. Use leftovers to make tahini sauce and tahini waffles, too.
How to Make Broccoli Tahini Soup
- Sauté. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and sauté the onion until softened. Then, add the garlic, and continue to sauté just until fragrant.
- Simmer. Stir in the potatoes, parsnip, and bay leaves. Then, pour in the broth, and bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer until the veggies are fork-tender.
- Prepare the broccoli. Place the broccoli florets in a food processor, and pulse to achieve tiny pieces. Alternatively, chop the broccoli by hand.
- Combine. Remove the bay leaves from the pot, and stir in the broccoli and seasonings. Simmer to soften the broccoli, and season to taste.
- Blend. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in tahini paste. Then, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until creamy. You can also use a blender. Just let the soup cool slightly, work in batches, and leave space at the top of the blender to prevent the soup from splattering!
- Serve. Portion the tahini soup into bowls, garnish with fresh dill, and enjoy warm.
Creamy Broccoli Tahini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 medium potatoes)
- 5-6 ounces parsnip, peeled and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 pound broccoli florets (about 3 heads of broccoli- if weighing with stems, 1 1/2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if sensitive to spice, use just a pinch)
- Pinch cardamom
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup tahini paste (from raw seeds is best)
- Fresh dill for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the minced onion and saute for about 10 minutes, till softened. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes till fragrant.
- Stir in the diced russet potatoes, parsnip, and bay leaves. Cover the ingredients with vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil.Let the ingredients simmer for about 20 minutes till the potatoes and parsnips are soft.
- Meanwhile, remove the broccoli florets from their stems (you should end up with about 1 lb of florets) and place them into a food processor. Pulse till the florets have been chopped into tiny pieces. If you have a smaller food processor, you may have to do this in batches. You can also chop the broccoli by hand, but make sure it is chopped very fine– this will speed cooking time, ensuring that the broccoli stays green and retains its vitamins.
- When the potatoes and parsnip have softened, remove the bay leaves. Add the chopped broccoli florets to the soup along with the chopped dill, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and cardamom. If you’re sensitive to spice, add the cayenne with care– it’s spicy! Using 1/4 tsp as the recipe suggests will give it a slight kick, which I really like. Bring the soup back to a simmer for about 5 minutes till the broccoli has softened. While the broccoli cooks, season with salt and pepper to taste. I use about 3/4 tsp of salt and a dash of pepper, more or less, depending on how salty my vegetable broth is.
- As soon as the broccoli softens, remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup tahini paste till smooth.Use an immersion blender to blend the soup till it's pureed and creamy. Serve hot. Garnish each bowl with a small sprig of fresh dill, if desired.
- Notes: for a slightly thinner, more appetizer-like soup texture, reduce 1 1/2 lbs of potatoes to 1 lb of potatoes. If you aren’t worried about keeping the soup vegan, you can use chicken broth in the place of vegetable broth. For those who don’t have an issue with gluten, I highly recommend serving the soup in a sourdough bowl, or stirring in a few toasted sourdough pieces to soak up the soup. Delish!
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
For those who don’t have to avoid gluten, I highly recommend serving this soup in a bread bowl or stirring in a few pieces of sourdough to soak up all the broth. Then, add a kale Caesar salad. Or, enjoy the soup as a side dish or appetizer with main courses such as vegetarian stuffed eggplant, stuffed cabbage leaves, or smoky panko schnitzel bites.
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if it thickens.
Yes! Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, and stir well to bring back its creamy consistency.
Hi Tori! I have made quite a few of your dishes! One of our favorites is the smoked paprika chicken thighs….and your hamentaschen!
I find it frustrating when people rate recipes they haven’t tried.
Judging from beautiful picturs is a bad idea. I cannot tell you how many beautifully photographed dinners have been just awful- not from your blog! Although the sirracha salmon patties were too much work for my family to not like. I keep trying to like salmon.?
This soups sounds good, I am preparing my grocery list right now so that I can make it this week.
Leave the votes for those who actually made it. I need a realistic assessment before trying to feed 8 -it’s double everythang!
Thanks.
Wow thank you for this wonderful recipe! I never thought of mixing dill, cumin and tahini together but the flavors blend in perfectly and I just love the soup! I added a squeeze of lime juice, you should try that. Lime and Tahini kinda go hand in hand in my kitchen 🙂
thanks again and greetings from Berlin, Germany
Can I use dry dill? I know it won’t taste the same, but would this sub still work?
Hi Juanita, try subbing 1 tablespoon of dried dill. Add more to taste for a stronger dill flavor, if desired.
Hi Tori,
Just wondering whether this recipe will freeze well – your thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Amy
Hi Amy, I’ve never frozen this! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but it has tahini and I’m not exactly sure how it will freeze… if you try it will you please report back and let us know how it was?
Hi Tori,
I’m excited to make this soup for a dinner party tomorrow night. Is it OK to make it tonight and reheas before serving?
Thanks!
Hi Katherine! Sorry I didn’t get back to you right away, I had over 100 comments in moderation to sift through and answer this weekend. Did you end up making it ahead? I have never made this particular soup in advance but I think it would work, I’d be curious to hear how it went for you. Let me know if you have a chance!
This is an excellent recipe! I didn’t blend it and it still turned out great. Thanks!
http://instagram.com/p/dDQinglH57/
So glad you liked it Sophie! That swirl of sriracha was inspired. 🙂
Hi, I have just discovered your website and am very impressed with your work and your very interesting (Kosher) recipes. I live in Australia and we use the Metric measurement
system. Do you have the online “feature” which enables your Imperial quantities to be converted to Metric – Degrees Centigrade,milliletres, kilograms etc? If not (yet),would you consider building it into your site in the future? Keep up the good (invaluable) work!!!
Update 1/23/18: this feature has been added, use the recipe card features above to access metric measurements as needed.
Creamy broccoli tahini soup sounds amazing! I’ve never tried adding tahini to a soup but it looks delicious. Great idea!
I LOVE this soup! So easy and delicious. Thank you.
Wow just made this, was looking forward to trying your Honey Garlic Chicken, but alas I forgot to defrost the chicken and all I had in the fridge to cook was broccili, cauliflower & zucchini so I threw all of them in the soup, was afraid to add the tahini 😉 but it was wonderful!! It’s great for people who can’t eat dairy to enjoy a creamy soup. Thanks!
Delicious – made it for Friday night and asked my guests (parents and brother whom I know love tahini) to guess what’s the secret ingredient. My mother guessed immediately and we all loved it. Substituted 4 zucchinis for the potatoes. Thanks for another great recipe!
I look forward to trying this one. Never thought to add tahini to soup. And never thought to chop the broccoli before cooking!
Wait…what did you do with the broccoli stems?
I always peel them and serve them to my husband, he LOVES them with a little salt and lemon juice. 🙂 But I suppose you could throw them in there, too… it shouldn’t hurt, as long as they have time to soften up. I would discard any really thick or tough stems. Chopping the stems up in the processor should make the cooking process go much faster!
Great! more tahini recipes, please!
How about a chocolate tahini cake like they have in Israel??
Kol haKavod. Wonderful reading. I am allergic to all cruciferous vegies. No I can not eat cooked broccoli. Is there a substitute you can recommend. I would certainly try tahini soup. Thanks for your assistance.
Hi Rabbi White, you might want to try my Autumn Sweet Potato Soup, but substitute tahini for the peanut butter. I’m guessing it would work out great. Here’s the link: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/sweet-potato-soup/
Just finished making this beautiful soup. It is so yummy! Great flavors. Thank you for this post.
We loved the autumn sweet potatoes peanut butter on Sukkot, can’t wait to try this one – sounds just like our cup of tea/soup…. Thank you and happy Purim
Tahini in soup is a brilliant idea. I’m stealing it.
LL
My husband and I don’t like parsnips, and he has diverticulitis & I have IBS hense spice! The soup looks delicious but what can you substitute for the above, and the Tanni paste? Ruth
Ruth, if you can’t eat parsnips, spice or tahini, then this may not be the soup for you! You can sub 2 carrots for the parsnip (though the color of the soup will change), but the spices and the tahini are really a major part of this recipe, and can’t really be subbed. I suggest you check out my soup archives to see if there’s something better suited to your needs: http://theshiksa.com/in-the-kitchen/recipes/soups/
what about a turnip instead of the parsnip? or cauliflower?
as for tahini, it does seem to be the glue of this recipe, but i could see the soup tasting good without it, just different. soaked and blended cashews might work.
I eat soup almost every day for lunch at work, and beautiful broccoli is all over the farmers’ market right now. This soup looks delicious, can’t wait to try it.
This looks wonderful! If I leave out the olive oil it will fit into my new way of eating! Hooray!!