Healthier 30-Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Delicious and comforting Healthier Quick and Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup made with tons of nutritious veggies! It’s comfort food that will leave you feeling great.

This is the kind of soup you crave! It’s creamy, flavorful, and (bonus!) filled with veggies. I love a soup that’s hearty and filling but also lightened up a bit. Is that even possible? This Healthier Broccoli Cheddar Soup says YES! We’ve got carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and onion all working to give you an awesome immunity boost. Serve it up with a slice of crusty bread and OMG…heaven. Heaven!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Without Cream or Flour

Most of the time Broccoli Cheddar Soup gets it’s trademark thickness from heavy cream and flour. Instead of those, I used cauliflower. Stay with me! I know what you’re thinking–cauliflower?! Trust me here, though! When cooked and blended, cauliflower actually adds an incredible creamy texture that’s rich, comforting, and filled with nutrients. Plus, we’re still topping this soup with delicious cheddar cheese!

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup From Scratch

This is a really simple recipe that you can make with one pot over the stovetop! Homemade Healthier Broccoli Cheddar Soup is as easy as…

1. Sauté: Get the onion, carrots, and garlic cooking first. Add in cauliflower and broccoli.
2. Boil: Add enough broth to cover the vegetables and bring it to a boil. Bring it down to a simmer and let everything cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Blend: Use an immersion blender to pulse everything to your desired consistency. I love a thick soup with some bigger pieces of broccoli left in. If you don’t have an immersion blender, your regular blender will work just fine.
4. Cheese: The final and best step. Stir in cheddar cheese and finish with salt and pepper! I recommend using the highest-quality cheddar you can find since it’s one of the stars of the show. Grate your own cheese if possible and soups on!

More Comforting Soups

• Instant Pot Loaded Veggie Coconut Soup
• Coconut Lime White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Soup
• Winter Minestrone Soup
• Seafood & Potato Soup

Food photography by Ashley Cuoco

Healthier 30-Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Laney Schwartz
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Delicious and comforting Healthier Quick and Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup made with tons of nutritious veggies! It’s comfort food that will leave you feeling great.

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Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 3 cups of florets)
• 1 large head of broccoli, or 2 small heads, chopped including stems (about 5–6 cups)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 6–8 cups low sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (plus extra for garnish)
• Chives

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Instructions

1. Preheat a large pot over medium/high heat. Add the oil, butter, onion, carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes until veggies begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the cauliflower, broccoli, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. 
4. Add 6 cups of broth to start (you can always add more if needed). Most of the veggies should just barely be covered. Bring to a boil then partially cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until veggies are easily fork tender. 
5. Once veggies are cooked use an immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency. If the soup is too thick add more broth. I prefer to leave it thick with lots of texture and even some larger pieces of broccoli throughout. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can carefully transfer soup to a blender and blend to your desired consistency. If doing this, make sure to leave space for the steam to escape while blending. 
6. Once blended, stir in cheddar cheese until melted completely. Add salt and pepper to taste. I added about 1 additional teaspoon of salt. This will mainly be determined by how salty your stock was. 
7. Garnish with extra cheese, a sprinkle of chopped chives and some crusty bread.

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