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Welcoming these chilly winter days with this Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It’s cozy, creamy, secretly full of vegetables, and totally delicious. This soup is made simply in one large pot with puréed cauliflower (to make it creamy), sharp cheddar cheese, and plenty of broccoli. Plus a little bit of coconut milk gives this soup an even creamier texture. It’s such a delicious healthier take on my favorite broccoli cheddar soup.
I’ve definitely shared my love for broccoli cheddar soup many times over the years. It’s one of those soups that for me, brings back all the best memories. I’ve loved a bowl broccoli cheddar since the days of my mom taking me out for lunch, way back when we lived in Cleveland.
It wasn’t that often that we’d go out for lunch, but when I could convince my mom to take us to Panera bread, it was always the best. The boys would just get bagels, but mom and I would get soup. Either the broccoli cheddar or chicken noodle, but broccoli cheddar was the favorite.
I haven’t had Panera since probably 6th grade, but I remember it being creamy, cheesy, and so delicious. I’ve loved a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup ever since. I feel like a lot of you have similar stories. It’s such an all around loved soup.
The idea
I already have a good broccoli cheddar soup on HBH. But I wanted to create a healthier version that was still just a creamy and delicious.
I thought I could mix in a cauliflower purée to add creaminess, plus an extra serving of vegetables too. It worked perfectly, and you’d never know that cauliflower is even in the soup!
Details
This soup is easy, but it does involve one extra step that a traditional broccoli cheddar soup doesn’t include, a double purée.
Start out simply with an onion, carrots, and broth. Add a head of cauliflower and let the soup simmer until the cauliflower is super tender. Purée this mix until it’s super creamy. You don’t want any chunks of cauliflower left over.
If you enjoy chunks of carrot in your soup, be sure to pull those out before puréing the cauliflower.
Return the creamy base to the stove, then in goes the fresh broccoli. You’ll need to cook the broccoli until it’s tender too, then do another round of blending. This time, don’t blend the soup all the way. I love to leave some chunks of broccoli.
Next, add a little cheddar cheese. Then add a splash of canned coconut milk to make the soup perfectly creamy…but without any heavy cream!
I’d highly recommend serving this soup with a side of crusty bread or pretzels. You need something for dipping!
Alright, and with that, I’m going to leave you all to it. If your week needs some warming soup, this is it. I’m actually beyond excited to make this again soon!
Looking for other soup recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana
Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup
Lastly, if you make this lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lighter Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1116 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten free flour
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked (or regular) paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne use to taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. Melt together the olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the broth. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. 2. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Return the soup to the pot. If needed add 1-2 cups water, then the broccoli, bay leaves, paprika, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.3. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup in batches until the broccoli is finely chopped, but small chunks still remain. 4. Return the soup to the stove and set over low heat. Stir in the coconut milk and cheese until melted and creamy. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is thick, add broth to thin. Ladle into bowls and top with a little extra cheddar and fresh thyme. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 5, 2022
I have to say, every recipe from HBH becomes my new favorite, but this one less so. The texture didn’t go over big with my family. But, I made the dijon honey chicken with the corn flake crust along with it and everyone loved that!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave. xTieghan
A stick blender works great for this soup.
Hi Anne,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
4 cups of brocolli is 1 12.6 oz package of frozen brocolli. Works great!! 2 cups of cheese is best.
Thanks so much Anne!
Hi! I don’t have a dutch oven yet (small apartment probs) but can I sauté veggies in a pan and then add everything to a slow cooker at once? How long do you think?
Hey Erica,
Totally, that will work well for you, also you can use a large soup pot, it doesn’t have to be a dutch oven. For the slow cooker, I would do 6-8 hours on low. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Excellent soup! I subbed whole milk for the coconut milk since I didn’t have it. I also added a little chicken bouillon for a little more flavor. It was delicious and a great way to get more veggies!
Hey Robyn,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Omg this is SO GOOD!!! Thank you for this amazing and easy recipe Tieghan! I was skeptical at first but this honestly tastes just as good to me as Panera’s and knowing it’s HOMEMADE and way healthier is a win win – I don’t know that I will ever be buying broccoli cheddar soup again 🙂 you are brilliant!
Hi Sharon,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Made this soup on a cold, snowy Sunday. It was super easy and so delicious! We thoroughly enjoyed it and it will be in my winter soup rotation forever. Love that it’s loaded with cauliflower and broccoli!
Hi Nancy,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Omg this is SO GOOD!!! Thank you for this amazing and easy recipe Tieghan! I was skeptical at first but this honestly tastes just as good to me as Panera’s and knowing it’s HOMEMADE and way healthier is a win win – I don’t know that I will ever be buying broccoli cheddar soup again 🙂 you are brilliant!
Hi Sharon,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Soup is my go to comfort food on cold, snowy winter days. Normally, I wouldn’t go for the broccoli cheddar soup but the ingredients were in my pantry and fridge, and boy am I thankful for that. This soup is amazing! There is just enough spice to give this soup a little elevation and complexity with a creaminess from the cauliflower, cheese, and coconut milk. This soup is divine.
Hi Kristina,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Can you freeze this?
Hey Dani,
Definitely, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Delicious!!!!!!
Hi Allison,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
This turned out so well! I didn’t have to use any water. When I make it next time I’ll use slightly less cayenne, maybe just 1/8 tsp.
Hi Mish,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Thinking about making this recipe but we eat keto.. do you think I could skip the flour?
Hi Michelle,
You could, I just don’t know if it will affect the texture or not for you. I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
you can sub arrow root for the flour to use as a thickener!
This is a wonderful soup recipe! Will definitely make it again!
Hi Lisa,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi Lindsey,
Yes, that should work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I live on an army base overseas and don’t have access to much fresh produce. I made this whole recipe with frozen ingredients and it still tasted awesome! My husband and I enjoyed it for days!
Hi Robyn,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT
This looks delish! I want to make it for our snowed-in day but I don’t have any cauliflower. Any ideas for a substitute?
Hi Mary,
You can use additional broccoli in place of the cauliflower. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
A snowy weekend here in Iowa called for trying out this soup! 10/10!! We also tried out your homemade pretzels which were also fantastic! Such a perfect pairing on a cold and snowy day! Thanks again for the recipes!
Hi Lydia,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT