I’m back on my Felicity binge on Hulu. Everyone’s telling me to watch You on Netflix, but quite frankly I’m scared it’s going to tarnish my love for Dan Humphries.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then clearly you are not a 90’s child. No shame in that, let’s move on to this INCREDIBLE cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup.
My husband’s favorite soup is a tie between broccoli cheddar and french onion. Now that I’ve got a classic french onion recipe under my belt, I’ve moved onto a lightened up inspired version of broccoli cheddar soup.
First, I have to admit that this recipe was kind of a happy accident as I was intending to make a broccoli cheddar soup with potatoes, but didn’t have any in the cupboard. Instead, I found a head of cauliflower and decided I’d make it work. And it was freaking glorious.
What do I need to make this cauliflower broccoli cheddar soup?
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Garlic
- Butter
- Cheddar cheese
- Vegetarian broth
- Flour of choice
- Half & Half or whole milk
- Spices
What makes this cauliflower broccoli cheddar soup healthier?
Broccoli cheddar soup is typically full of heavy cream, LOTS of cheese and butter. My version is a lightened up made with less cheese, less butter and less cream.
The cauliflower helps to thicken the soup without needing to add extra cream. I say the more veggies, the better, don’t you?
Just look at this. Don’t you want to dive in?
Our favorite way to eat it is with some good seedy multigrain bread for dunking into the soup, or with a few crackers crushed on top.
You can add bacon on top if you want to add a little something extra. It’s going to be fantastic however you make it. Enjoy! xo.
See how to make this cauliflower broccoli cheddar soup:
Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrot, julienned or cut into matchsticks
- 3 tablespoons flour of choice (all purpose, whole wheat or gluten free flour)
- 3 ½ cups low sodium vegetarian broth (or chicken broth if not vegetarian)
- ½ cup half and half or whole milk (or heavy whipping cream)*
- 3 cups cauliflower florets, very finely chopped (about 1 small head of cauliflower)
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets, very finely chopped (about 1 medium head broccoli)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Toppings:
- Extra shredded cheese
- Chopped bacon, if not vegetarian
Instructions
-
In a large dutch oven or pot, add butter and place over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, add in garlic, onion, and carrot. Saute for 5 minute or until veggies are tender.
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Stir in the flour to coat the veggies, then slowly stir in the broth, stirring. Next add in milk, chopped cauliflower and broccoli, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until broccoli and cauliflower are tender.
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Stir in cheese and reduce heat to low.
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Add about 1/2 of the soup to a blender (roughly 3 cups) and blend until smooth. You can blend more or less soup, depending on how creamy or chunky you like it. Be very careful while you blend the soup.
-
Once done blending, return blended soup to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, such as adding additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately with extra shredded cheddar on top and chopped bacon, if desired.
Recipe Notes
*You can also use 2%, skim, unsweetened coconut milk (from the can) or unsweetened almond milk. I might recommend changing the broth to milk ratio because you’ll be using a less rich milk. I would suggest using 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 1/2 cups broth instead. I can’t guarantee it would be as delicious though; using a more full fat milk is best!
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eat
109 comments
Oh my goodness this looks delicious! I will be trying! Thanks for the tips to use lighter milk!
I love the idea of using cauliflower and broccoli. I’ve been making tons of soup to get me thru winter.
You is a must watch! I don’t think the creepiness of Joe will tarnish your Gossip Girl memories. I read the books, and I can’t wait for season 2.
So good!! And I’ll have to watch!
Hey Monique,
This recipe is AMAZING! So delicious! I found I had enough for leftovers. When I plug the ingredients into my fitness pal and indicate the serving size as 8 (not 4) I’m getting a very different number (424 calories and 67.7g of carbs). Wondering where I might be going wrong in my calculation? I’ve plugged in the exact recipe (I used half and half and 4 cups of broccoli). Any ideas?
Hi there! I’m so glad you liked the soup. Unfortunately MyFitnessPal isn’t very accurate when it comes to recipe calculations unless you are adding in the specific amounts. Feel free to add it up manually. I use this: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Made this tonight, so good! I left it chunkier than the photos and loved it that way. Thank you!!!
Glad you enjoyed!!
Can’t wait to make this. I stopped in a snow storm to buy the ingredients. And, You (on Netflix) definitely will tarnish any good feelings of Dan Humphries!
Hope you love it! And YES agreed on You.
Anyway to make it in the crockpot?
Sure! However you’ll still need to saute the onion and garlic first then add everything to the crockpot besides the cheese. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Once ready to serve, stir in cheese and continue with steps. 🙂 yum!
MONIQUE!!!!! This recipe is bomb! So easy and so delicious. I’m already looking forward to having it for lunch again tomorrow. You da bomb. Xoxo
So glad you loved this one!! Best leftovers ever. xoxo
Delicious soup, and very comforting. I love the variety of vegetables. My husband and daughter put bacon on theirs, and they liked it too. Served with multiseeded baguette for a warm dinner on a day when the temperature was below zero (centigrade) and the winds were 60 miles an hour. I can hardly wait for winter to end! Thanks for a great recipe.
Sounds like the coziest dinner! Counting down the days until spring here too <3
This looks great going to make tomorrow while we snowed in
i Can’t wait to make this and its looks is very fantastic.
Hope you love it!
I made this soup today. I used 2% reduced fat cheddar cheese and vegetable stock. Trying to make it weight watchers happy. It was awesome, everyone loves it. Thanks for the greater recipe.
Great! Glad you all enjoyed 🙂
Made this today and it was phenomenal! There is not one recipe from your blog that I haven’t loved. Thank you!
So happy to hear that Amy! Hope you keep finding new ones that you love 🙂
Yo this is amazing soup! Just made it and can’t wait to eat the rest for lunch this week. Thanks lady!
Perfect!! So glad you found this one 🙂
Could I somehow use frozen cauliflower rice for this?
Yes I think that would be a great idea! Just use 2-3 cups 🙂
I am so excited to make this!!! I also want to bring some to a friend that just had a baby. Do you think the soup will freeze well?
Yes, I think so!
I’ve seen other recipes where they roast the cauliflower first for more flavor – do you think that would work well too? Can’t wait to try it, excited for fall!
Yes that sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out.
This sounds amazing! Can’t wait for cooler weather to try!!
Absolutely! Let me know when you give it a try 🙂
I am just trying this now with frozen broccoli & cauliflower (that’s all I had). I will let you know how it turns out!
Yes let me know how you like it!
Made this recipe for a group and it got RAVE reviews – super easy and delicious!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
this looks great. I’ll try it in my crockpot. What about Instantpot?
We made this last night for dinner, and it was DELICIOUS!!! I couldn’t believe how filling it was, and only 339 calories! I used half and half like the recipe called for, and chicken stock, because it’s what I had on hand.
It was creamy, filling, and delicious. Thanks for another great “keeper”!
Amazing! So glad you loved this one 🙂
This recipe is awesome!! I added small red potatoes instead of the flour, and roasted all veggies before putting in the soup pot. Also used liberal amounts of white cheddar and gouda cheese. I used a potato masher to finish the soup instead of blending due to preference for thick, chunky soups. Very easy and VERY delicious! Thanks Monique!
Love it!! That gouda sounds delicious. So happy you liked this one!
Love this soup! More importantly my grandkids beg for❤️Question though, confused on half teaspoon of garlic powder since already he’s three cloves. Is salt meant to be there?
So happy to hear that! The recipe is correct as written! It adds a ton of flavor, but if you prefer, you can leave it out 🙂
Didn’t need bacon, it was so delicious!
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
So good! I used arrowroot starch in place of the flour and it turned out delicious!
I’m glad that swap worked out! Such a great dinner.
This soup was delicious! I followed the directions exactly except when it came to the garlic. I don’t understand why you would use fresh garlic & garlic powder; I just added an extra fresh clove. I used whole milk & extra sharp white cheddar. I didn’t feel the need to add more on top. However, my hubby did without even trying it, but that’s typical for him! It was so flavorful & comforting! I served it with homemade garlic bread. This recipe is a keeper!
Perfect! An extra clove works just fine. So happy you both enjoyed!
Sooo many veggies. LOVE THIS SOUP! The only thing i did differently was roast my cauliflower first. I think it gives it a richer flavor. I usually put potatoes in my broccoli cheddar soup as a thickener but i didn’t miss them at all, using the cauliflower instead. And i don’t miss all the extra carbs either. Thanks Monique!
Delicious! So happy you loved this one (and great idea with the roasting!)
This was absolutely delicious!! I shared with some of my coworkers and they keep asking me to make it weekly. DEFINITELY TRY
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Hi! Can I use an immersion blender instead?
Hi! That should work well, too!
I’m not sure how I stumbled across this website but I am not disappointed! I found this recipe yesterday and had to make it right away!
WOW it is delicious!!!! I’d give 10 stars if I could. I can’t wait to try another one of your recipes! Thank you for sharing!
So happy you found AK! Perfect recipe to start with here 🙂 I hope you find more that you love!
Broccoli cheddar soup is my guilty pleasure but it never leaves me feeling good. This lightened up version is so delicious and doesn’t give me that heavy feeling after eating a big bowl. Love!
Absolutely! Glad you love this version!
This was SO amazing and SO easy. My husband had never eating broccoli cheddar soup (WHAT) so I decided to make it during covid-19 quarantine. He has a hard time feeling satisfied eating a meal without meat and he LOVED this and said it was super filling!
Amazing! So glad you two loved this one!
This became an instant favorite for my husband and me – and any other adult I’ve made it for! My kids don’t love it, but honestly that’s just more for me. This is great with a hearty bread for dipping!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. Love this with a yummy slice of bread.
This is so good and easy to make. I used whole milk and extra garlic, and it turned out great! I’d highly recommend!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Really enjoying this soup! I used vegetable broth, almond flour, and almond milk. I also added a bit of buttery mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. it’s just as tasty and a bit healthier than the usual potato cheese soup I make. Thank you!
I made this soup twice already , in a week !!
My family loves it!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Delicious! The website isn’t letting me click on stars for some reason, but definitely 5 stars. I appreciate when you do lightened up versions of recipes because they’re good for us but also delicious! I got lazy and used my food processor to pulse the veggies a few times rather than chop them by hand, but I realized that I like bigger veggies so I’ll chop them by hand next time.
I’m so glad you loved this one! We’re working on a fix for the stars, too 🙂
Absolutely delicious. I used 2% milk and chicken broth. The second time I made this, I didn’t have cauliflower and substituted potato. Also used jack instead of cheddar, and it came out great. My husband couldn’t get enough of it. Thank you for this exceptional recipe, Monique!
Perfect! So happy you both loved it!
Quick, easy and SO YUM! It tastes like lightened up Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup…another amazing AK recipe!
Just like it!! Glad you loved this version 🙂
Is the nutrition calculated using half and half or whole milk?
I calculated it using half and half!
Seriously super delicious. I will 100% make this soup again!
Amazing! Glad you loved it 🙂
This recipe was amazing! I used frozen broccoli that I let thaw and drain ahead of time and frozen diced cauliflower rather than fresh and it was so good! Cook time including prep was spot on as well!
Perfect! Glad you loved this one!
As much as I love summer, I’m totally ready to make the transition to fall and start filling my weeks with yummy soups. Love this as an option!
Absolutely! This is a great one to start with 🙂
I ran out of shredded cheddar and replaced 2 cups with mozzerella. I also cooked it in the instapot for 10 minutes, blended half the soup in a blender and stirred in the shredded cheese at the end. It came out delicious!!! I love garlilc and onions but my kids do not, so instead of onions I used two shallots and they still gobbled it up.
Perfect! I’m glad it worked well in your Instant Pot 🙂 Such a great dinner for the kiddos!
Can almond milk be used in the recipe for Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup?
Yep! Check out the notes section for instructions on substituting 🙂
This is a perfect creamy soup with macros that won’t bust a whole day. It’s delicious and perfectly creamy!
Side note: I did not perfectly measure (I never do with soups) and mine was a little sweeter than I would have liked it. I think I added too much carrot. I used the bagged matchsticks to save time and dumped in way too many. Oops!
I had to modify slightly, as I was out of any kind of stock, so used water + a bit of olive oil instead and it was still delicious! So super easy, as all of your recipes are. I can’t get enough!
So delicious! We will definitely be making this again soon.
So glad you enjoyed!
So yummy!!! I made this with half and half and blended it completely. I’ll be making this again!
Perfect! Glad you loved it 🙂
Made this the other night and it was soooo good! Perfect texture and flavor. Will definitely be making this again!!
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Very tasty, quick and simple!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I have made similar versions to this but I like the addition of broccoli and cream – lovely hearty winter soup. Thanks!
Absolutely! Perfect for winter 🙂
Wow. This is delicious. All the veggies work well together and love that it’s a bit healthier than other creamy soups.
Absolutely! Glad you love it!
This recipe was such a success! Thanks so much for sharing this!!
I used 3 carrots and 4 garlic cloves since mine were on the smaller side. I also used unsweetened almond milk, doubled the cayenne and used a healthy amount of black pepper. I blended with an immersion blender before adding the cheese to make my clean up a little easier.
My husband’s comment was: “This is one of the best soups you’ve made!”
Monique’s recipes are always PERFECT and super dependable. I know I can’t go wrong when trying out her recipes, and recommend AK to all my friends.
Perfect! I’m so glad!
It came out so good! Thanks for the great recipe. I love broccoli cheddar soup and this recipe is filling but not as heavy as some can be….which I prefer. I will be making it again!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This might be my favorite soup of all time. It’s so freaking good
So happy to hear that!
I love this. I’ve never made soup before, and this was so easy. Also- delicious. It doesn’t taste like it’s meant to be lightened up, which is why I love it so much 🙂
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
Does this soup freeze well?