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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
This is delicious! I didn’t have the canned coconut milk so I used the kind in a carton. And I didn’t blend a second time because I like the little chunks of broccoli. The flavor is fantastic – I love the heat! And knowing the extra veggies are in there just makes it all the better. Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Made this soup on a cold Sunday in Michigan & it is a delicious soup…lots of flavor, lots of vegetables and easy to make. Will definitely make it again! (used a immersion handheld blender & blended the soup right in the pot – super easy). Thanks so much for this delicious soup.
Hey Debbie,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Just made this soup and it was delicious! Such an easy way to incorporate a ton of veggies. I used an immersion blender instead of transferring to a food processor and it worked beautifully.
Hey Julia,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
I’m making this for dinner tonight – looks DELICIOUS! I was wondering whether or not you can substitute cream for the coconut milk. If so, how much do you recommend?
Hi Jen,
Sure, I would use an equal amount of cream. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
My daughter’s exact words were, “this is the best homemade soup I’ve ever had” I will definitely be making this again. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Hi Dawn,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
I decided to make the soup…as well as the pretzels!!! It became a family affair after I assigned everyone some chopping and prep tasks. The kitchen was buzzing for an hour, and it was worth it! For a cold and rainy day, this was the perfect comfort food. I really loved the creaminess of the soup and the flavors were yummmmmy. Our first batch of pretzels were lack luster, but I kept the 2nd batch in the boiling water a smidge longer and they were perfection! I’m on month 2 or 3 of using your recipes, and my family LOVES them all. Thanks for all of the great ideas!
Hey Jordan,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
I made this for dinner, and while the prep steps were more time consuming, I followed the recipe and was surprised at how delicious it was! A lower fat / full of vegetables option with a finish of cream of coconut soup will be something I make again!
Hey Linda,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Absolutely DELISH! Thank you!
Hi Sheila,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Love that there are lots of veggies packed into it. Perfect cozy winter meal.
Hi Kate,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
This was fantastic! Made it dairy free for my daughter who is allergic to dairy by using vegan butter and omitting the cheddar. My husband couldn’t believe it didn’t have cheese. Thank you!
Hey Allison,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
This is one of the best soups I have ever made. My husband said “this needs to be on repeat”.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Literally just cleaned up dinner and I had to hop on here – wow!!! This soup is amazing! Quick, easy, and delicious dinner.
I used an immersion blender. Worked perfectly.
Everyone loved it (including our 14 and 9 year olds)! Thank you!
Hi Lindsay,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Big hit with the family! Love the little kick from the cayenne.
Hi Faith,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Soup was fantastic! I did substitute cream for coconut milk since I had it in the fridge. Can’t find a head of cauliflower easily here in Michigan so I used 4 cups of pre cut florets. So good.
Hey Terri,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
This one did not disappoint! ? My husband doesn’t like cauliflower and he said he wouldn’t have known it was in there if I hadn’t told him. It was creamy, healthy, and still cheesy like we like it. I also made the pretzels but made them as pretzel bites instead and it was a perfect addition to the soup! It’s freezing in Michigan right now and this was the best thing to warm us up. Thank you for the deliciousness on this cold day!
Hi Brittany,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT