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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 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, 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 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 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.
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!
Love love love this soup! I like cream of broccoli soup but never eat it bc it’s just too much. This recipe is perfection. The only change I made was a tblsp or so of red curry paste I wanted to get rid of. Cannot taste the coconut milk, it just adds a smoothness to the texture. I used gf flour. Fantastic!!
Hi Lynne,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Made this yesterday when it was snowing out. It was delicious!!! Loved the subtle heat of the cayenne
Hey Kathy,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
I added some toasted and crushed coriander seeds. Only used 1/2 cup cheese. So delicious and healthy even though it tastes very rich. Thanks
Hey Maureen,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Do you think I could make the dumplings the way we do in your other broccoli cheddar soup? That’s a hit with my whole family but love idea of cauliflower in it too!!
Hey there,
Sure! That would be a great idea! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Nothing better in a cold snowy day than this soup! I didn’t have coconut milk but I will try that next time. My husband despises cauliflower but he didn’t even know that it was basically the base of this soup so bonus points for that! Thanks Tieghan for an amazingly satisfying recipe.
Hey Ginny,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
This tastes even better than Panera’s version. So much flavor and I love that it’s healthier than other soups with mostly vegetables. Easy to make, all in one pot. I used an immersion blender instead of transferring to a blender and that worked great. Other than that, I followed to a tee (used low sodium veg broth). I will make again and again. Thank you!
Hi Erika,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Amazingly good! This is my favorite broccoli cheddar soup that I’ve ever made! The cauliflower addition is genius! The fact that it is made with no heavy cream and less cheese than others is just an added plus! 🙂
Hey Alex,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Delicious, like everything HBH! Also, easy! A big hit in our home tonight!
Hey Elizabeth,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
This recipe is amazing! I really can’t believe just how flavorful it is—layers upon layers of flavor! Is it the cayenne? The thyme? The broccoli and cauliflower mixture? Whatever the reason, it is very tasty. Didn’t even top it with extra cheese, and no need to adjust anything before serving. Oh, and I used my immersion blender instead of my food processor— much less mess that way! I liked it slightly “chunky” but my husband wants it smooth next time. Served with HBH 5-ingredient beer bread, which has become a staple for when I want to put a meal over the top.
Thanks for sharing your GREAT recipes!
Hey Tracy,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Made this last night, subbed with frozen broccoli defrosted in the microwave, and it turned out fantastic! Even better the day after.
Hi Amanda,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Insanely delicious and the only thing I will alter next time is using 1 tsp of dried thyme. Otherwise my wife and I love this.
Hey Greg,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Yum! What would you think about adding a protein and what would you recommend.
Hey Kara,
I think chicken would work well for you here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This soup was delicious! Perfect for these chilly January days. We used an immersion blender which worked well, not sure if it wasn’t as creamy but I like a little more texture in my soups anyway. This one is going in the rotation!
Hey Erica,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This recipe was delicious! Perfect on a 10 degree day. I love using coconut milk when I’m cooking. Keep doing w hat you’re doing I enjoy your blog the photos are beautiful.
Hey Beth,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hi…I was looking for the soft pretzel recipe to accompany this soup, please. Thank you!
Hi Stacy,
Here is the link for the recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/hard-cider-pretzels/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan