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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 was a little skeptical if I could pull it off…but I did! Ya know how parents sometimes have to sneak veggies in kids’ food? That’s what I had to do, but with my husband! I ate Keto for a couple years and we consumed A. LOT. OF. CAULIFLOWER. My husband had no idea it was in this soup! It’s super cold here in MN, and it hit the spot.
I sprinkled a little Everything Bagel Seasoning in my serving. Delicious! ❤
*I did not add thyme and I substituted cream for the canned coconut milk*
anned coconut milk
Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi Karla,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
A winner and keeper! Very tasty. Initially it was a bit heavy on the thyme. I might adjust that to a lesser amount next time. One would never think there was cauliflower in the soup. A very, very healthy recipe.
Hey Linda,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I tried this recipe tonight and was so excited! I ended up using only half the amount of ground thyme, but introduced it with the other spices (wasn’t listed anywhere in the directions). Super bummed because it’s all we could taste when it was complete. 🙁 What should I have done differently? Willing to try it again with tweaks because we LOVE broccoli and cheddar soup.
Hey Kelli,
So sorry to hear this. How much ground thyme did you use? Unfortunately, the recipe calls for fresh thyme or DRIED thyme, ground thyme is much more potent. xTieghan
This is a delicious lighter version! I am not a fan of heavy creamy soup and I liked the addition of cauliflower & omitting heavy cream or milk which adds too many calories/fat.
I “cheated” & made a quicker version by using prepackaged mirepoix, cauliflower pearls and a bag of ready to use broccoli. I ran out of my homemade stock so I used an organic boxed stock. Cutdown on prep time on a busy weekday!
Hey Gail,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this soup last night- we loved! My only issue was I thought soup not thick enough & I didn’t see when to add thyme…just at the end?
She adds the dried thyme while sautéing the onions and carrots.
Hey Michele,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Was there anything you adjusted for thickness? You can add the thyme in step 2. xTieghan
Amazing! Thank you for another easy healthier meal that my whole family loves. I never really cooked until I found your recipes, thank you so much.
Hey Katherine,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So satisfying and delicious! I will have to make the pretzels next time!
Hey there,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can I skip the flour?
Hi Helga,
The flour helps to thicken the soup, so I would not recommend skipping it. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Lots of travel in the next two weeks, but I have the broccoli and cauliflower on hand. Can I make while the ingredients are fresh and then freeze? How long do you think it would last? Can’t wait to try!
Hey Cori,
Yes, you can freeze for up to 3 months. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
When would I add dried thyme? I just finished making it otherwise and it’s delish by the way…I’d hate to mess it up by sprinkling on dried thyme now…
Hi Kristen, I added the dried thyme at the same time I added the spices, so it could soften up in the soup while the broccoli cooked.
Hey Kristen,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! You can add the thyme in step 2. xTieghan
Hello! I cannot wait to make this. Any idea if I can swap for frozen broccoli florets? Thank you 🙂 I love all your recipes!
Hey Kimberly,
Sure, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This soup is amazing! We loved it! Fast, easy and so much flavor!
Can I give 10 stars? So yummy! Thanks for the recipe. ??
Hey Lauren,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hey Joddi,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
It’s a snowy day in Canada so this recipe popped onto my feed at the perfect time! Had every ingredient and whipped it up in no time! Just delivered it to 3 neighbours who all agree that it’s just THE BEST!
Your recipes never disappoint!
Hey Jill,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can I substitute evaporated milk for the coconut milk
Hey Linda,
I would probably not do that, but any other milk you enjoy like almond milk, non-fat milk, or oat milk would work! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What I really want….is that blue saucepan! Are they available for purchase somewhere or was it a one time antique find?
Hey Heidi,
That is a Dansk saucepan, you have to hunt for different colors, but here’s a link:
https://food52.com/shop/products/3718-food52-x-dansk-kobenstyle-saucepan?sku=16496&gclid=CjwKCAjw0On8BRAgEiwAincsHBe3a8SuK74DVnhhA2PAv19u6Swe9MBN9o-zsXgTkAEYTMR-AiwApBoC9x0QAvD_BwE
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan