My one-pot, vegan and gluten-free Broccoli Ginger Soup is the tangy tasty soup you must cook next! The addition of lion’s mane mushroom provides a subtle umami flavor and hefty nutrient profile.

Soup Time!

My take on Broccoli Ginger Soup blends together super quick, and is vegan and gluten-free. It is made of mostly vegetables and is light fare, but punches a big flavor! The addition of Lion’s Mane mushroom powder adds an umami taste and potential brain enhancing benefits!

Ginger ¹

Ginger, commonly known as “ginger root” is technically a rhizome that grows from the ginger plant.  It adds a pungent and a slightly spicy flavor to foods and drinks.  It has been effectively used as herbal medicine for centuries and is a welcome addition to my Broccoli Ginger Soup.  Ginger is most notable for its antiemetic or the ability to curb sensations of nausea and vomiting.

You probably have been told to drink a ginger ale or ginger tea if you have an upset stomach. Scientists know the antiemetic effect is thanks to gingerol, the active compound found in ginger.  Multiple studies have shown that ginger can be just effective as prescribed medication in curbing nausea and vomiting in cancer patients and during pregnancy. ¹ So if yo

In addition to reducing symptoms of nausea and vomiting, ginger has been shown to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.  It has even been shown to reduce symptoms in patients with arthritis.  It may even be effective is managing metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. It can aide in reducing fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance and lipid profiles.

The benefits of ginger are significant, but working with fresh ginger to add to recipes like my Broccoli Ginger Soup can be tricky!  My preferred method is to peel the ginger with a spoon, sounds crazy, but it works!  Then, using a microplane grater, adding the needed amount to a dish. To reduce food waste, peel any extra ginger and store in the freezer until you make my Broccoli Ginger Soup or other gingery recipe!

 Broccoli²

Broccoli, with their heads being referred to as crowns are a royally healthy and delicious vegetable! They can be enjoyed raw, steamed, grilled, roasted or pureed into my Ginger Broccoli Soup.  It’s important to add the broccoli right at the end of cooking as to not cook off the valuable nutrients.

Broccoli contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and anticarcinogenic compounds that help to make my Broccoli Ginger Soup, nutrient-dense.  Broccoli is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and riboflavin.

In a study of the nutritional composition of broccoli using different cooking methods, it was found that steaming is the best method, with boiling coming in second. Often when broccoli is boiled, the liquid it is cooked in is discarded, but not in my Broccoli Ginger Soup! The nutrients that are leached into the cooking water, will be consumed as part of the soup.

It is best to cook the broccoli for just two minutes, which may not seem like enough time to fully cook the broccoli.  Make sure to cut the crown and stem into small, bite size pieces to increase the surface area and help the broccoli cook quicker.

Lion’s Mane

Lion’s Mane are large white, shaggy mushrooms that looks like a cross between a pompom and yes, a lion’s mane! They can be found fresh in specialty grocers and farmers markets, but I prefer using the mushroom powder. I get Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Cordycep mushroom powders from Qi Traditions.  All of their products are organic and rigorously researched and tested.

Adding Lion’s Mane to my Broccoli Ginger soup gives a subtle umami flavor, and provides an extensive list of medicinal benefits.  This fierce mushroom can enhance cognitive function such as improved memory.  It has a number of bioactive compounds like β-glucan polysaccharides that are neuroprotective and neurogenerative.

Studies have shown the therapeutic potential of Lion’s Mane to reduce depression and anxiety. Participants in a randomized control trial were found to have improved sleep quality and decreased depression compared to the placebo group. ³

Let’s Get Cooking!

Now that we have learned all the health benefits of Lion’s Mane, ginger and broccoli––let’s make some vegan, gluten-free Broccoli Ginger soup!  If you want the soup to be a bit chunky, use an immersion blender and save yourself from washing out the blender!

The herbs are a key addition, adding a bright floral touch.  Use whatever green herbs you have and substitute with dried if needed. The lemon juice and zest should not be skipped, they lend a yummy tang that compliments the ginger.  If you want to add a bit of heft to this light soup, you can add a can of coconut milk.  Enjoy!

Similar Pages

Looking for more soup recipes? Try my Creamy Vegetable Soup, Vegan Lentil Soup, and Instant Pot Bean Soup.

References

1. Anh NH, Kim SJ, Long NP, et al. Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020;12(1). doi:10.3390/nu12010157
2. Yuan G, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang Q. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli*. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009;10(8):580-588. doi:10.1631/jzus.B0920051
3. Why holistic practitioners and biohackers are curious about this mushroom as a preventative agent. Qi Traditions. Accessed December 21, 2020. https://qitraditions.com/blogs/news/lion-s-mane-a-multi-modal-medicinal-fungus

Broccoli Ginger Soup

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Keyword: broccoli, ginger, vegan

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons ginger minced or grated
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 ½ teaspoons Lion's Mane mushroom powder
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 pounds broccoli cut into florets and stems into pieces
• ½ cup parsley chopped
• ¼ cup mint chopped
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. Add onion and salt and saute approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes and Lion’s Mane and saute 30 seconds.
• Add stock and water and increase heat to high. Once boiling, add broccoli and cook 2 to 3 minutes until broccoli is cooked and bright green.
• In a high powered blender, add mixture of liquid and broccoli and puree till smooth in batches. After each batch, pour soup into a clean pot or bowl. In last batch, add parsley, mint, maple syrup, zest, and lemon juice.
• Combine all batches and eat immediately, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.

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