Lightened Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Published Jan 15, 2020, Updated Nov 15, 2021
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Easy and healthy, this lightened up broccoli cheddar soup uses cauliflower for a creamy base and packs a ton of veggies into a comforting and cheesy bowl of soup. Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Broccoli cheddar soup brings me back to my childhood! As a kiddo, I wasn’t a huge fan of vegetables besides potatoes and corn. #carblover I would eat green veggies like broccoli, but only when it was smothered with butter or cheese. That said, I always loved broccoli cheddar soup! The ultimate comfort food then and now.
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Traditional broccoli cheddar soup is made with a melted butter and flour roux and a hefty serving of milk. I decided to skip all of those extra calories and made the base out of vegetables and broth blended with an immersion blender. It’s so creamy and delicious, you won’t even realize I switched up the recipe to include more veggies. 😉
- vegetables – yellow onion, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
- broth – either bone broth or vegetable stock is great!
- cheese – I used cheddar cheese
- spices – nutmeg, salt and black pepper
One serving is under 270 calories – no guilt here and plenty of room for delicious sides!
What to Serve with Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I love pairing this broccoli cheddar soup with a couple of sides to make it a more filling meal. I need more than 270 calories to fill me up! I love bread with soup – cornbread is always delicious (my pumpkin cornbread is amazing, as is my vegan cornbread) or you can keep it simple and toast up a slice of honey whole wheat bread. A side salad (like my garlicky kale salad) would also be a light, refreshing accompaniment to this soup.
Storing & Reheating Soup
When it comes to soup, I feel like some soups taste better as leftovers, after the flavors have had more time to mesh, and others are better right away. This broccoli cheddar soup falls somewhere in the middle. I think it’s best fresh, but it also stores and reheats really well from the refrigerator. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup because the cheese may change consistency/break up in the freezer. Refrigerate leftovers for up to five days and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
In the Mood for Soup? More Soup Recipes to Try
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Vegan Curried Pumpkin Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Sausage Kale Soup
- Autumn Harvest Soup
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Lightened Up Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 head cauliflower, core removed and chopped into small florets
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
- 4 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
- 5 cups broccoli fresh florets or frozen
- 1-2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top, if desired
- green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower, nutmeg, cayenne (if using), salt and pepper. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the broth to the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for at least 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender (soft enough to mash with a fork).
- Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Return the soup to the pot over medium heat and add the broccoli and carrots. Bring to simmer and cook 20-25 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender (if you use frozen broccoli, you’ll only need to cook until the broccoli is thawed and heated through).
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese a little at a time. The soup will be pretty thick. If you want a thinner soup, add additional broth or water to reach a desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.
- Serve soup sprinkled with additional shredded cheese and green onions.
Notes
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the cauliflower soup base to a regular blender for pureeing, but do so carefully and in batches so the soup doesn’t splash out. Alternatively you can use a potato masher to mash the cauliflower. This will result in a chunkier soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love love love this! I will definitely be making this again. One thing I changed: when I tasted the finished product I added 2 tsp more salt and LOTS of extra black pepper 🙂 My carrots were crunchier than I expected so next time I think I might let them simmer on their own in a small sauce pan of broth to make sure they get nice and soft before adding them to the soup.
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad this soup was a hit!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I so appreciate it. 🙂
Oh my gosh! I found your website by looking up Spaghetti Squash Cooking how to. I’m into eating healthy and have been struggling finding good meal ideas. All the recipes I run into aren’t always
the healthiest and are loaded with cheese and such. The emphasis is on fast and easy not healthy and good. Your site is just loaded with things that I love to eat. I’m creative with many things in my life. Unfortunately, cooking isn’t one of them. I have a slow juicer and a freeze dryer that I use to make and store long term 25 years foods that are good for me and my wife. I love soups and your soup menus are just out of this world! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your recipes! Variety is the spice of life. I’ve been so frustrated with my food choices you have no idea. Again, I’m so excited to have come across your website and will be sharing with everyone that I know! Take care! Mark Sendzik
This makes me so happy to hear, Mark! I’m so glad that you stumbled upon my site and I can’t wait for you too try some of the recipes! Thank you for the comment.
Does this soup freeze well? Also, can I use frozen cauliflower florets and if so, how does the process/cook time change?
Hey Sally – I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup because the cheese may change consistency/break up in the freezer.
I just made this and it’s super delicious! A word of advice, don’t use purple carrots, they make the whole soup purple 💜
So glad you loved this soup, Samantha! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Could I use frozen cauliflower for this? I’m worried it will mess with the base of the soup
I will definitely make this again – really delicious. I had a little issue with the cheddar cheese not fully incorporating, but I think this may have been due to my adding it while the soup was still too hot and/or adding too much at a time. I’m on my second day of leftovers and it reheats great on the stove. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, Melissa! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Super tasty and so creamy, you‘d never guess there is no cream involved! Thanks for the great recipe, I‘ll definitely make it again asap!:)
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Sonia. I’m pumped you enjoyed this soup. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate it.
This soup is delicious! What really puts it over the top is the cauliflower base – the flavor is amazing!
Yay!! So glad you loved this soup, Julia. Thanks for making it and for the review. 🙂
Hi Brittany, I always try out recipes from your site. ITs so amazing that we can eat guilt free all what you make. My broccoli cheddar soup is in the making. I saw ur soup is a creamy color and what I have is the ornage cheddar. will that do?
That should work just fine! Let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂
This recipe is out of this world! I always thought Panera’s soup was a little too thick and cheesy. This is the perfect combination. I also boil the carrots in with the cauliflower to give it a pretty color. I’m going back for another bowl!
Ahh this makes me so happy to hear, Laura. I’m pumped to hear you loved this soup!! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂