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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!
Delicious! Really easy to tweak if you want more broccoli, less cheese, etc. This one is going in the rotation for sure!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
I made this last night with a few modifications. It was a hearty filling soup! I have celiac so rather than use flour to thicken, I added 2 small peeled and diced potatoes to thicken and it worked well. I omitted the milk completely, and I added garlic with the onion. I also used a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets combo. I used an immersion blender to puree. After blending I added about 2 cups of fresh finely chopped broccoli florets and cooked that for a bit, and then added the cheese at the end. Turned out great!
Hey Jenny,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
I totally forgot coconut milk, can I omit?
Hi Sarah,
You can use another milk that you enjoy in place of the coconut milk:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This was delicious, I’ll definitely make it again!
Thanks so much Kerri! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you making it! xT
I just made this for the first time!! It’s so stinkin good!! I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe 🙂
Hey Sarah,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
This recipe is 1116 calories per serving? Or 1116 calories total in 6 servings?
Hey Jess,
I’m assuming it’s for the entire batch of soup! I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
1116 calories per serving?!
I calculated the calories in MFP assuming 1.5 cups of cheese and it came out to 230 calories per serving.
Really tasty soup. Wish there was an amount for the cauliflower instead of small head. Will make again!
Hey Rose,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
I loved how this is packed with veggies and tastes so good! We used an immersion blender but were just careful not to over blend the broccoli. We only had a giant head of cauliflower but didn’t think the flavor was noticeable at all. It just provided a good thick texture. You could add more cheese to each bowl if you want more of that cheesy texture but the flavor was awesome! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hey Brittney,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! xx
Sadly, this was a no for us. I used the immersion blender instead of the blender so maybe the texture was off but even so, the flavor was more cauliflower and less broccoli and cheese. Won’t be looking forward to our leftovers and a bit sad I used my homemade vegetable broth in it.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
This soup is delicious and perfect for the cold Ohio days we’re having! My husband and I loved it so much we’ve made it twice this week. I was pleasantly surprised by how mild the coconut milk flavor was and loved the soup’s overall creamy texture. An immersion blender made things that much simpler! Thanks for creating another delicious and easy recipe!
Hey Jenna,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
I made this last night and my 6 year old said I win the mommy cooking award and he wants it every single night forever except for Friday (that’s pizza night).
Thanks so much Nic!! Love to hear that this soup was enjoyed:) Happy Friday! xx
Made this in the Instant Pot. Cooked the cauliflower for 4 minutes and quick release.
Pureed it with an immersion blender.
Added the broccoli and spices and cooked again for 5 minutes. Removed some of the whole broccoli , pureed what was in the pot, then added the rest f the broccoli, cheese, and coconut milk. Delish!!
Hey Christina,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT
I’ve been making a similar style broccoli cheese soup but without a recipe because I have a son with texture issues and can’t stand onions. This recipe nailed the proportions for me. We also add in the stalks of our broccoli with the cauliflower and use cream instead of coconut. I’m counting macros and wanted less fat, so I put put the shredded cheese on the table and let everyone add how much they desired.
Hey Alicia,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Made this last night, it was delicious. However, I did swap coconut milk for cream. It was a little too runny for my liking. Next time I make it I would add an extra 1/2 cup of cauliflower and an additional cup of broccoli. But it was still super yummy – just want it a little thicker.
Hey Kate,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
This sounds great…just curious about the “lighter” promotion. I didn’t run the numbers but the calories noted above indicate 1116 calories per serving. Typo perhaps?
Hey Heather,
It might be calculating the entire batch of soup? I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
Tieghan,
The stated calories of 1116. Is that for the full recipe?? Seems like a lot of calories for one serving.
Hey Jim,
It could be….I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
Tried the soup, it is absolutely delicious but I also was concerned about the 1116kcal is this the total for 6 servings ie. 1116 divided by 6 = 186 cals per serving🤔
Hey Karen,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)