Broccoli Purée
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If you’re looking for something lighter than mashed potatoes but just as creamy and satisfying, this broccoli purée recipe is the answer — easy enough for weeknights and special enough for company.
Gorgeously (or shockingly?) green, this purée is a welcome change from the usual steamed or roasted broccoli—and it’s also a great low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. Similar to my mashed cauliflower, it’s made by first steaming the broccoli florets in a flavor-infused liquid, rather than boiling them. This not only helps retain nutrients that would otherwise go down the drain, but it also ensures that the veggies don’t get waterlogged, leaving you with a nicely textured purée.
I like to add butter and sour cream to lend richness and a hint of mashed potato flavor, but feel free to adjust the quantities up or down as your indulgence meter allows. Pair this purée with simple grilled salmon, roast chicken, or a juicy steak. And be very happy if you have leftovers—you can thin the purée with chicken or vegetable broth to make a delicious and healthy creamy broccoli soup.
What You’ll Need To Make Broccoli Purée
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Cook the onions. Melt half of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 2. Add the broccoli. Add the water, salt, pepper, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
Step 3. Purée the mixture. Transfer everything from the pot to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the remaining butter and the thyme, then process until broken down but not fully smooth. Add the sour cream.
Pro Tip: Add the butter in while the broccoli is still hot—it melts in seamlessly and gives the purée a silky base before you add the sour cream.
Step 4. Finish and serve. Process again until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. If your food processor is small, work in batches. Transfer the purée to a serving bowl, top with a pat of butter and chives, and serve warm. The purée can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
Jenn’s Pro Tips
- Taste before serving: Broccoli can take more salt than you’d expect. I usually add about 3/4 teaspoon after the broccoli is puréed. Add it gradually, tasting between additions, so you don’t overshoot.
- Texture tweak: Purée only half the broccoli and stir the rest back in for a chunkier, more rustic mash.
- Use the purée as a base: Leftovers make a great pasta sauce starter or can be thinned with stock into a quick broccoli soup.
- Garnish ideas: Beyond butter and chives, try a sprinkle of toasted nuts or Parmesan shavings for extra flair.
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Broccoli Purée
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for serving if desired
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion, from 1 small onion
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds broccoli crowns, cut into florets, tough stems thinly sliced (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, for serving
Instructions
- In a pot large enough to hold all of the broccoli, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water, salt, and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the broccoli and bring the liquid to a boil; cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer all of the contents of the pot, including the liquid, to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the remaining butter and the thyme and process until broken down but not completely smooth. Add the sour cream and process again until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary (I usually add up to ¾ teaspoon more salt). Transfer to a serving bowl, and top with a pad of butter, if using, and chives. (Note: if your food processor is small, you may need to work in batches.)
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I used this as a side for my brasied short ribs (as a base for the ribs to lay on top). This is an amazing, keto friendly replacement for mashed potatoes!!
I didn’t see this in your keto recipes, but the ingredients all look compliant. Is it keto friendly? If not, what makes it non-compliant? Thank you!
Hi Shannon, I am not a nutritionist, but I believe it is keto-friendly. Hope you enjoy it!
SO delicious!!
All of the recipes on your website are great, but this one is out of this world amazing, relatively healthy, and easy to prepare. (I was able to use frozen broccoli by extending the boiling time by 5 minutes.) The best part is how this dish works for all types of people. Our family consists of 2 adults, a fussy toddler, and a 10 month old, and all of us were able to eat this dish.
So incredible — and much healthier than mashed potatoes! I’m serving it tonight alongside your Chicken Marsala. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Do you think I could get away with using frozen broccoli to save time? Thank you!
Yes, Val, but since it’s already cooked, don’t add any water when cooking the broccoli. When you puree the mixture, add water if needed. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite vegetable recipes – delicious, easy to make, and appealing to both adults and kids. I use an immersion blender instead of a blender and it works perfectly. Leftovers great too so I always make extra. A big thanks!!
This was delicious! It will compliment any protein! I can’t wait to try it as a bed for a piece of salmon! Thanks for the recipe!
This is delicious! I have some purée left over and was thinking of making cream of broccoli soup with it. Can it be done? If so, what would I need to add to the purée to make it into a soup?
Definitely, Peg — I usually thin it with a little chicken broth and it works beautifully.
I was wondering is there a way to make your broccoli puree without dairy?
The crowd I would be making it for has several who are lactose intolerant.
Thank you so much!
Sure, Susan. You can use margarine instead of the butter and just omit the sour cream. Enjoy!
Miyoko’s makes an incredible vegan butter. I’m not vegan and I prefer it as a butter replacement! I would use it in the second half of the recipe that calls for adding butter off heat.