Fall has officially returned, and with it my penchant for soups. This broccoli tahini bisque is almost as easy to make as it is luscious. Yeah, “luscious.” You read that right!
Restaurant Week wasn’t something I’d ever taken note of, probably on account of the fact that I’m not a middle-aged rich suburbanite foodie. So it was purely coincidental that the first time I went to G-Zen, a fancy vegan restaurant in Branford, was during Restaurant Week. Really, it was serendipitous, because G-Zen is expensive, and my partner and I got to try a half dozen of their dishes for the price of one meal. The first thing I tasted was their broccoli tahini bisque, and it completely blew me away. Though I’ve tried a dozen or so of their offerings since, I remain convinced that this soup is one of their best dishes.
As such, I was compelled to either make my own rendition of this soup or embark on a career of robbing banks to support my shamefully expensive soup habit. After some careful deliberation, I chose the former path. Having read a little bit about G-Zen’s philosophy, I knew that my central task would be to keep the preparation simple. The resultant dish is truly a celebration of broccoli. Jesus. This soup!
- 5 c broccoli (about 2 crowns), broken into florets
- 1 c spinach, optional
- 1½ c vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp raw cashews
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ tsp salt (reduce or eliminate if your stock contains salt)
- sesame seeds and freshly ground pepper, for serving
- Steam broccoli until bright green and just tender.
- Transfer broccoli to a blender, add remaining ingredients, and blend until completely smooth.
- If using a high speed blender, you can continue blending until the soup is hot, or transfer to a medium pot and heat on stove just until it's heated through.
- Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and freshly ground pepper.
The spinach is completely optional, but why not sneak a little extra nutrition in?
If you don't have cashews on hand, you can omit them and add an extra tablespoon of tahini.
14 comments
FoodFeud says:
Sep 23, 2014
Yoooo I want to make this so bad! It looks awesome and creamy. I love tahini and broccoli. Such a pretty color too.
claryn says:
Sep 24, 2014
Do it! It’s super creamy, and surprisingly rich/filling even without cashews. It’s just simple whole food goodness, but it tastes so fancy. (Maybe I should reassess my conception of fancy food?)
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says:
Sep 25, 2014
Claryn, this broccoli bisque sounds all kinds of amazing. Broccoli sound is one of my favs and definitively can’t wait to try 🙂
dave says:
Oct 4, 2014
hell yeah, this bisque is delicious.
Anna Strom says:
Oct 4, 2014
I now have a new favorite broccoli soup! The recipe is perfect for a new vegan like me: simple and super-delicious.
lysette says:
Oct 11, 2014
I put in two large cloves of Yugoslavian garlic and am told by anyone with in a ten foot radius of me that I should have stuck to one. This is is so good, nutrient dense -totally went with extra spinach- and quick to make. Winning!
claryn says:
Oct 12, 2014
Hahaha — I can never get enough garlic, but I found this soup to be surprisingly garlicky with just the one clove! That said, if “garlic soup” were a thing, it would definitely be a thing I’d eat. Keeping other people at bay would just be an added perk. 😉
Emily says:
Oct 30, 2014
I cannot wait to try this! I’ve been to G-zen a couple of times and everything I’ve tried is out of this world. Thanks so much for recreating this recipe! I happen to have all the ingredients at home right now, I may have to rethink dinner tonight…
Amy says:
Nov 2, 2014
This looks delicious! Think I can sub almonds for the cashews?
Ashlee says:
Dec 9, 2014
Yum! This sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try it.
joanne murphy says:
Dec 14, 2014
This looks great. I generally use almond milk for my soup base when I do the broccoli but this would be an interesting variation—and I never thought of adding cashews/tahini. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks.
Oishivegan says:
Mar 30, 2015
Yummy!!! I cook broccoli very regularly, but needed new ideas. This recipe looks super delicious, I will definitely try it 🙂
Very nice picture by the way!
Elizabeth says:
Oct 13, 2015
I am day 7 of my vegan lifestyle change…I came here looking for a pancake recipe. Everything looks so delicious, i am making this one tonight and your pancakes in a few minutes! Thank you for such an awesome site, sure is going to help a newbie like me
Ashley says:
Aug 13, 2016
The hubby and I absolutely LOVED this soup! Instead of adding room temperature ingredients to the hot broccoli in the vitamix, we boiled the cashews and garlic in the stock before blending. It turned out super creamy and piping hot. So glad we made a double batch, and we can’t wait to make it again!