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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
Delicious! My first time making any type of broccoli cheddar cheese soup, or using coconut milk and this recipe is amazing!
Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So good. I made this. Very easy recipient to follow and very tasty. Will definitely be making again. Love your recipes. I bought your cookbook for myself and my daughter for Christmas.
Hi Tamara,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was so delicious! Instead of full fat coconut milk, I used the light version and it was just as good!
Hi Maddie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Would this work without a blender?
I used my immersion blender and loved the consistency.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi Ariane,
You are going to want to use a blender or food processor or immersion blender so that your soup isn’t so chunky. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made this last night and my family loved it. My 8 year old had two bowls. Served with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar on top of the soup and pepperoni bread. I used an immersion blender to eliminate transferring the soup to a blender or food processor, which worked very well. Will definitely make it again, thanks so much!
Hi Melanie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So so good
Hi Jocelyn,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is delicious! I tasted it before adding the coconut milk and decided to leave it out because the carrots I used were already pretty sweet. It’s so creamy and satisfying!
Hi Rachel,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was a HUGE hit with my family! We added some crumbled bacon at the end for a little bit of a smoky flavor. We’ll definitely add this to our winter meal rotation.
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I just made this soup. Super easy and delicious. I highly recommend it. So tasty and light.
Hi Maria,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Very tasty! I used my immersion blender on soup for the first time. It made just the right texture.
Hi Karin,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
We made this last night and it was yummy!….but too strong on the Thyme. It overpowered the rest of the flavors. Kids didn’t like that. You couldn’t taste the broccoli or cheese because of the spices. Next time I’ll omit the Thyme, or try your other Broccoli Cheddar soup recipe which looks delicious too!
For dessert I made your Crinkle Top Brownies which are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. My family loves them!
Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Dana,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Sorry to hear about the thyme, you want to make sure to use dried thyme or fresh thyme. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
This looks great! Could this be made using slow cooker?
Hi Lynn,
Sure 6 hours on low would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
So good! I love the flavor and the fact that it’s a lighter version is definitely a plus!! Served this with warm bread & a little side salad. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Shelly,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Absolutely LOVED this soup! And easy too.
Hi Coralee,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This soup is absolutely delicious. Very flavorful. I will most definitely make this again.
Hi Lily,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan