There’s something so soothing about a creamy, warming bowl of soup when the sun sets at 4PM. Don’t you agree? Years ago, I remade this INCREDIBLE cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup, and I couldn’t stop slurping it up.
My husband’s favorite soup is a tie between broccoli cheddar and french onion. Once I had a classic french onion recipe under my belt, I moved on to a lightened-up version of broccoli cheddar soup, and all I can say is wow.
This recipe was kind of a happy accident. I intended to make it 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. Trust me when I say you’ll fall in LOVE with this healthy cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup recipe.
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What makes this cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup healthier?
Traditional broccoli cheddar soup is typically full of heavy cream, and LOTS of cheese and butter. My version is lightened up with extra veggies and a little less cheese, butter, and cream.
The cauliflower helps to thicken the broccoli cheese soup without needing to add extra cream. I say the more veggies, the better, don’t you?
Ingredients in cauliflower broccoli cheddar soup
This soup couldn’t be easier to make using very common ingredients like fresh veggies and simple seasonings. The flavors are perfection! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Veggies & produce: you’ll need broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, and some garlic as the veggie base for this delicious soup.
- Butter: to cook down all of those veggies.
- Spices: you’ll just need salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Cheddar cheese: for all of that cheesy broccoli cheddar flavor.
- Vegetarian broth: feel free to use vegetarian broth or chicken broth (if not vegetarian) to help simmer and blend up all of the ingredients.
- Flour of choice: use a bit of flour to perfectly thicken the soup.
- Milk: you’ll also want to use half & half or whole milk to give the soup the right amount of creaminess. See my note below for alternatives if you’d like!
The right milk to use for cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup
As I mentioned, I prefer using half & half, whole, or 2% milk in this cauliflower broccoli cheddar soup recipe for the ultimate creamy texture, but there are other options! Here are my tips & suggestions:
- You can also use skim, unsweetened coconut milk (from the can) or unsweetened almond milk.
- If you use a different 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.
- Please note that I can’t guarantee it will be as delicious, though. Using full-fat milk is best!
Can I make it vegan or dairy-free?
I haven’t tested this recipe using dairy alternatives, but feel free to try unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk (as mentioned above) and your favorite vegan/dairy-free shredded cheese!
Looking for a boost of protein?
This soup actually packs over 20g of protein per serving, but you could absolutely stir a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas (before or after blending), or 1-2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken after blending the soup (if not vegetarian).
Use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken and get the flavors of my Cheddar Broccoli Chicken Pot Pie.
How to make healthy broccoli cheddar soup
- Saute your crunchy veggies. You’ll start by cooking down that onion, garlic & carrot in a bit of butter in your pot or dutch oven to get them nice and soft.
- Cook the soup base. Next, add in all the rest of your ingredients (except the cheese) and simmer everything until the veggies are tender.
- Cheese time. Stir in all of that delicious cheese and reduce the soup to low.
- Blend it, baby. You’ll then take about 3 cups of your soup and blend it in a blender until it’s nice and creamy. Add the blended soup back to your pot and stir everything together.
- Taste & serve. Adjust seasonings as you’d like and serve hot — maybe with some bacon on top? Yum!
What to serve with cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup
Our favorite way to eat it is with:
- Slices of my favorite Garlic Bread
- A hearty, toasted slice of my No Knead Seeded Honey Oat Artisan Bread
- Some good seedy multigrain bread for dunking
- With a few Ritz 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.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store & reheat: let the cauliflower broccoli soup cool completely and place it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- To freeze & reheat: this soup should freeze well! Allow it to cool completely and place it in freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw the soup completely before reheating it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More soup recipes you’ll love
- The Best Minestrone Soup
- Cheddar Buffalo Cauliflower Soup
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (whole 30, dairy free)
- Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs
- Creamy White Bean Chicken Enchilada Soup
Get all of my soup recipes here!
I hope you love this easy lightened up cheddar cauliflower broccoli soup recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, 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)
- ¾ 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 (8 ounces of cheese)
- Toppings:
- Extra shredded cheese
- Chopped bacon, if not vegetarian
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies: 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. Sauté for 5-minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Simmer the soup: 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.
- Stir in cheese and reduce heat to low.
- Blend the soup: 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.
- Season and serve: 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
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eat
This post was originally published on February 12th, 2019, republished on January 27th, 2021, republished on September 26th, 2023, and republished on December 21st, 2025.
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
So easy and SO tasty as written!!!
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?
I think so!
This recipe is delicious! I doubled it for leftovers. Exactly what is a serving size? Thanks!
Perfect! I believe it’s about a cup and a half.
YUM! I made this soup for dinner last night and loved it! I added extra spices because the soup needed some extra flavor, but that was an easy fix. Will definitely be making this again!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
I made this for dinner today! Was delicious 🤤 in order to feed 5 people with almost half more left in extras, I did almost 6 cups of broth and 2 cups milk. I added some red chili powder and going to add nutmeg next time I hear it up for lunch. It was a great soup my family loved!!
Perfect! Glad it was a hit!
LOVE this recipe and have made it a few times already! Wondering if it would be okay to make ahead and freeze? Doable? All tips welcomed, thank you!! Excited to try a few more soups soon
So glad you love it! Check out the full post for freezing instructions 🙂
I’m very kitchen-challenged (besides all your baking recipes) and this looks like a soup that I may actually be able to make. I have a lot of frozen veggies on hand and was wondering how you think the soup would turn out with frozen veg
I recommend thawing out the veggies first and then cooking them. You might have some excess liquid, but it should cook off!
Creamy, comforting and so so delicious. Used a food processor to chop up the cauliflower very fine. Tastes like absolute comfort food.
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
So delicious. I didn’t have carrots and subbed celery instead. Perfect for a snowy day
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
This turned out perfectly with your ratio using 2% milk and broth. So hearty and nutritious. Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
A family favorite! Added 1/2 cup half and half and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk and it was delicious! Perfect for a cold winter day!
Love it!!
This was delicious! I love all the veggies and how easy it was to make. I was able to pre chop veggies a day ahead which made it even easier. Made for great leftovers as well!
Absolutely! Easy and delicious dinner 🙂
This was so yummy. It’s getting super cold here in Texas and this was the perfect dinner, I used half the amount of cheese and added 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast. The immersion blender worked well for this too. So excited for the leftovers!
I don’t normally rate/comment recipes but I have to let you know how delicious this soup is. It’s an easy to follow recipe and the ingredients are not hard to find. We love the flavours and blended to a texture of a cauliflower rice mouth feel. Excellent!
This soup is INCREDIBLE! Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
This recipe was SO easy. A perfect weeknight dinner. My fiancé and I have been eating for lunch for the past couple of days as leftovers and it’s super yummy. Definitely will be making again 🙂
This is my partners favourite soup! It is so easy, delicious and definitely a lot more nutritious than the standard recipes (but it’s not like we expect anything besides this winning combo from AK). I always trust her recipes that are a perfect balance between being healthy but still super delicious!
So good! Did the sub for using almond milk, and added in less cheddar, a bit of cream cheese & some nutritional yeast!
This soup was absolutely amazing and so easy, my husband devoured it and has requested it again. Thank you for a lighter version that is so delicious.
I LOVED this soup. Broccoli cheese soup is one of my faves and the addition of cauliflower was perfect.
So fantastic, delicious and creamy! To me it tastes better than the classic broccoli cheddar from Panera. I up the amount of carrots, just to get as many vegetables as I can in, I usually use a white cheddar, because ai tend to have that on hand more. So good. I have it with few oyster crackers or a soft pretzel roll to dip it in… makes me feel like I am having soft pretzels with queso.
This was a perfect quick & delicious winter night soup and will definitely be a staple in my recipe book now! Can’t wait to make it again soon!
This is by far the best cauliflower and broccoli soup I’ve ever made.. It’s was so creamy and delicious. Easy to make and kid friendly! So good, I have already made it twice since the recipe was posted!
So tasty and relatively quick to bring together! I’ve made it twice in the last 2 weeks for my family and sent a second batch over to my in-laws who absolutely loved it!
I have made this several times already. Simple and delicious! A perfect cold weather dish.
This was so good. We have made it several times. The only change I added was to add dried mustard and a little more heat- enhances the cheesy flavor. Can’t go wrong with ambitious kitchen recipes!
What a perfect rainy/winter day recipe. Delicious and healthy!
Absolutely! Glad you loved it!
This looks delicious and I will make it BUT I almost gave up on it because of all the ads and pop ups, aaaahhh! Very frustrating.
This was delicious and pretty easy to make! I used frozen broccoli and instead of putting it in the blender, I used an immersion blender.
So glad you enjoyed!
This receipt is beyond easy and really good. It makes enough for a few meals for my entire family.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I didn’t have any milk or cream on hand so just used a little more broth and added a parmesan rind and bay leaf. Removed the rind and bay leaf before blending with the cheese and OMG I did not need any cream. The soup was so delicious and naturally creamy. Absolutely loved it. Served it with my husband’s homemade bread. Thank you for these fantastic, healthy recipes.
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed!
I really am enjoying this soup, though it ended up a bit rich for me. ( I used half-and-half.) Next time I will use a lighter milk and perhaps 1 1/2 cups of cheese. I’m also not quite clear on why the flour is added. Blending part of the soup probably makes it thick enough. Perhaps I will go for 2 tablespoons next time. In spite of all my tweaks, I DO like this soup.
Glad you enjoyed regardless! And yes, those tweaks should work out just fine 🙂
I replaced the half and half with Nutpods creamer and it turned out incredibly flavorful and creamy. Such a delicious and filling soup!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Recently made this for a sick friend who was having a hard time getting veggies into her diet while not feeling well. It is the perfect combination of healthy and comforting. Absolutely delicious!
Absolutely! A nourishing hug-in-a-bowl.
Is it possible to just double the broccoli, instead of using broccoli and cauliflower ? I’d rather not use both as I have thyroid issues, and try to have only one goitrogenic vegetable at a time.
yes absolutely! I do think the cauliflower helps add a nice creaminess though 🙂
I was looking for a tasty soup for myself and for a friend recovering from surgery. I was so pleased and surprised with how flavorful and satisfying this was (very nice spicing and almost meaty texture), I followed the recipe closely, except that I had only one large carrot and the recipe called for two. I also had a 6 oz block of cheese and the recipe called for 8 oz. The soup seemed perfect even with these differences. (Really liked the Cabot Alpine cheddar cheese I used.) I couldn’t believe how nicely this soup turned out on my first try, and it was great to have something so darn good to take to a friend. I’ll be keeping this recipe!
Perfect! So glad you found this one!
THIS SOUP WAS OUTSTANDING.
THANK PAT
Glad you loved it!
Great tasty soup for those that don’t want heavy meals!👌
Absolutely!
This was so delicious! I made it exactly as written, except that I over-blended it – I should have left some more chunky veggies, and next time I’ll make sure I do that (as it says in the recipe, blend about 1/2 the soup – I did more like 75%, and it was too much). Thanks so much for sharing this, it’s absolutely perfect, my whole family loves it!
So glad you enjoyed! And yes feel free to leave some more chunks of veggies next time 🙂
I must have made this soup recipe 3-4 times over this past winter in the span of just a few weeks! Its just so good! This recipe makes this soup easy and fast, which I love! I’m sure I’ll be making this soup even into the hotter months because its that good! I’ve recommended it to anyone that will listen–haha! LOVE this!
Amazing! So happy you love it!
This was a delicious hit, even with our kids (ages 5 and 2.5)! A good way to get a variety of vegetables into a single meal.
So happy to hear that!
This soup is delish!! One-pot. Keeps and reheats easily. Such a comfort meal! . . . I have generally opted to use Earth Balance, almond milk, and 1 bag/8oz vegan cheddar shreds since that’s usually what I have on hand at home BUT I will say that using whole milk (or half-and-half or heavy cream) really brings the creamy factor to a new level! Other modifications I’ve had success with: 1) I don’t like cauliflower, so I go all in on broccoli, 2 large florets seems to do the trick, and 2) I use a full 4 cups of veggie broth and increase the carrots to 3 or 4 large ones. I agree with doing julienned/matchstick carrots (vs. diced) and using an immersion blender to blend a third or half of the soup. Yum!
Perfect! So great for customizing. We love this one, too!
Excellent… enjoyed just as is!
So happy you loved it!!
DELICIOUS. My husband claims to not be a “soup person” and he went back for seconds! 🙂 I fully committed to making this soup despite it being an 80+ degree day – totally worth it. This is going in the vault!
Amazing!! I’m so happy you both loved this one, Jess!
We loved this! My fiance’s review: “I’d eat this if you made food like this every night.” Super easy, and I skip some of the chopping prep buying the bags of cauliflower and broccoli from whole foods.
This is probably my favorite soup I’ve ever made. I love that you blend some of the veggies to make it smoother and leave some in there for some texture. I decided to add some bacon into mine and oh my gosh. Amazing. 5+++ star recipe
Loved this recipe. I had to use what I had available in my fridge, so I used 2% milk and instead of two cups of cheddar I used 1 cup, and stirred in a half a block of light cream cheese. Turned out amazing. I’d make it again.
Those are awesome substitutions, glad you loved it, Angela! 🙂
Loved this! Blended up most of it with an immersion blender and it was nice and creamy. Freezing the leftovers for when baby #2 is here in a few weeks!
Happy you loved it, Ali! And CONGRATS, MAMA!!!
Delicious! The flavor is just right and it’s thick and creamy without feeling heavy. I added more cayenne to my bowl but just sprinkled it in the pot. Another kid approved meal!
Yay! I’m happy you loved it, Caitlin 🙂 Great call on the extra cayenne.
This was easy and so delicious! We made a small loaf of bread to have on the side. Genius idea to blend half of the soup, I’m looking very forward to putting this in my regular fall/winter dinner rotation. Thanks for another A+ recipe, Monique!
This is SO good. I have a very heavy veggie chowder recipe that is a Panera copycat, but this is SO much better! So flavorful and hearty without being heavy (and without the bloat, iykyk). This will be in regular rotation at my house this fall and winter. Thank you Monique and AK team!!
Omg THANK YOU! I’m so happy you loved this one, Dana!
Perfect for this first day of rain. I made as written except I did not have any carrots. I used veggie broth and organic half & half. The smell of the onions and garlic sautéing in the butter was lip smacking. I knew then it was going to be good. Instead of using a blender I took the pot off the heat and carefully used an immersion blender. Then I added the cheese and let it melt completely.
Thanks so much for sharing, Diana! Happy you loved it 🙂
Yum!!!!! Followed the recipe to a T using the substitution listed for skim milk and broth. It was SO good! Doesn’t taste “lightened up” at all it is so great and so much better than Panera! I served this with warmed ciabatta rolls, an apple and a small salad and it was great for dinner!
Sooo good!
I doubled the recipe so I decided to shred the carrots to save time and came out great.
Nice! Happy it came out well and that you loved it, Alexandra 🙂
I made this soup and it was Excellent!!! It’s beyond five stars! So full of flavour, creamy and perfect in every way. I don’t consume dairy so I used coconut milk instead (the one in the can) full fat. Thanks for this recipe. ❤️
Easily doubled batch for serving a crowd! Cauliflower makes so creamy. I added cheese after blending and worked just fine. Nice warm up for a chilly weekend!
Nice! So happy to hear it came out perfect and that you enjoyed it 🙂
This soup is INCREDIBLE! I have made it several times and on a snow day, like today, it’s just the best. I used coconut milk and coconut bacon and it was SOOO good. Thank you for this recipe ❤️
Yay!! I’m so happy you love this one, Maureen!
Thank you for such a nice light soup recipe- it is delicious and healthy! I only added about 1 cup of cheese and it was good! Will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Janik! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
This is a go-to recipe I’ll use when I’m not sure what to make. I always have a frozen broccoli/cauli/carrot mix on hand, so this works perfectly. Such an easy, comforting dish.
Yes, pure comfort food! Happy you love it.
This was really delicious!
Happy you loved it, Donna! 🙂
This soup is super tasty! I halved the cheese and it was still delicious.
In the nutritional information in this recipe the sodium is omitted. It sounds delicious and I will make it. I know I can just leave it out. Just wondering!!
Hi! Yes, we don’t include that in our calculations because the sodium content can vary so much based on the brands of ingredients you use (like chicken broth). Feel free to add salt to your liking! 🙂
Loved this soup, so easy to make! It’s perfect for the fall and no doubt will be a staple for winter too. We left it chunky and it was perfect, the texture was amazing!
Yay! Happy to hear it came out great
We LOVED this soup!!!!
My husband and I LOVE this! We both love broccoli cheddar soup, but I’m lactose intolerant so I can never have it. I sub for a nut or coconut milk in this recipe and it hits the craving perfectly.
Excellent!! It definitely turned out at least 6 servings for us. With crusty bread it’s amazing!
This is so good, I keep coming back to it. I use the recipe as written, keep the veggies chunky and purée about 3 cups. Sometimes I add a handful of roasted fingerling potatoes cut into bite-size chunks at the end. It makes almost a stew. I have also puréed the whole thing and that also makes a lovely soup. You can’t lose. My only suggestion is that when I am going for chunky soup, I add the broccoli about 7 minutes after the other veg, as it seems to cook up faster. Enjoy it!
Can this be made in a slow cooker? if so what would i need to do.
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. 🙂
can this be cooked in the crockpot? what the steps?
Made it exactly as written, with the suggested change for unsweetened almond milk. Delicious.
So glad you’re loving this recipe ❤️
Thank you Monique – This is one of my favorite soup recipes. I use an immersion blender to blend the veggies into the soup. This soup freezes well. Thank you!!
YUM! So glad this recipe is a hit and turned out great for you 🙂
Made this tonight and it was very yummy! It was slightly thinner than I would have liked, but perhaps that was due to the way I blended the veggies. I ran out of cheddar so couldn’t top it off with more, but will do so for the leftovers. It had great flavors and my husband enjoyed it.
Delicious – glad this recipe turned out great for you, Michele.
This is SO good! I added a touch of nutmeg to give it a little extra love. 10/10 would recommend!
Ah this is great, Krista. Glad you are enjoying this soup and it turned out great for you!
Really great soup! We loved it. I ended up using whole fat coconut milk and followed the alternate milk recommendation — super thick soup! I had to add another cup of broth, But given that she said to change it up because alternate milks aren’t high in fat, I should’ve seen it coming. Just posting here in case it helps!
Great tip to add more broth in this case! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
What a great recipe to moderate the calories of a cream soup. I added a handful of spinach and a chopped jalapeño because they were available. I doubled the cayenne and add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes because my husband likes the heat. I did not have a full 8 oz of cheddar cheese so I added some shredded pepper jack. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Love the added kick of spice! Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks for delicious recipe- I really enjoyed making and eating it. And, I have recommended it to several friends.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Absolutely loved this recipe! I used about ~32 oz of homemade chicken broth (from slow cooking rotisserie chicken bones in crock pot) and ~ 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk (eye-balled). I loved blending the ratio that was suggested leaving some chunks of veggies in the soup but I waited to add the cheese until after blending.
Side note: I saved some of the soup without the cheese to feed my 10 mo old baby – since it wasn’t far off from a puree!
Perfect! Great idea to save some for baby, too!
Omg… I just love this recipe so much. My go to lunch and dinner recipe, freezes so well. Absolutely yummy, especially with the grated cheese added.
So happy to hear that!!
Hi Monique, I was wondering to save some time, could I just chop all the veggies in the food processor (carrots, onion, broccoli and cauliflower) since it’s going in the blender anyway?
I think that should work! I would just avoid pulsing them all the way since you’ll be blending them again.
This is so good! I added 1 potato to the recipe too. It’s 10/10.
Perfect!!
Love this recipe! It was an immediate favorite for my family! It’s been a go to for friends/ family having babies and recovering from surgery because it freezes well and is easily vegetarian! So tasty and packed with all the veggies!
So good!!
I made this today and was a bit nervous because all I had was almond milk on hand, but let me tell you it still came out amazing! I can only imagine how good it will be next time I make it with heavy cream. The best thing about this recipe is how quickly this soup comes together, I will definitely be keeping this in my rotation. 10/10!
Did you use a white cheddar cheese or orange?
Looks yummy!
I mix it up sometimes! Either will be delicious 🙂
This was so delicious!! I love how garlicky it is – perfect to cure this cold. I used an entire cauliflower and 1 large broccoli crown and did 4 cups of broth. It turned out super thick and delicious. I also used 2% milk and it was fine, don’t think cream is necessary especially considering you’re adding 2 cups of cheese lol
Needed to add extra salt and pepper. Wish I could post a picture! I topped mine with crispy bacon and shredded cheese. Even better heated up the next day. Thanks for this yummy recipe!
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed, and hope you’re feeling better!
Soups have always been my fear. I moved to a village of 133 people, 2 hours away from a grocery store. We started learning to garden and some foods did better than other. First year it was tomatoes, good soups were made. Now I cannot wait to grow broccoli and cauliflower. This soup is wonderful. Simple and so good. Thank you
Fresh veggies make it even better! Glad you loved it 🙂
I make this all of the time! And so many more of your recipes. Thank you so much. You’ve been such a staple in my kitchen and I’m sorry I haven’t told you until now!
So happy to hear that, Lauren! I hope you keep finding new recipes here that you love 🙂
Sooooo good! I didn’t have cream, so I did utilize the notes and used the ratios recommended using unsweetened almond milk and it turned out amazing – can only imagine the original version! I used my immersion blender, which made to super easy to blend a bit. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
This soup is so delicious. Just what I was looking for. I made a couple of adjustments. I didn’t have enough cauliflower so I added one medium potato and only 1 cup of cheese. It is so good and I will make it again. Thank you.
Perfect! That’s a great swap. Glad you enjoyed!
I loved this soup. As usual, I used what I had. I had some stock from a ham and used some of that with some more water. I also used 2% milk. I didn’t have broccoli so I used a zucchini from the garden. I am now making my second batch. It was lovely.
Love that! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
Just made this for the second time. It’s so good and comforting! My kid eats it right up even though it’s chock full of some of his most loathed vegetables. We had cornbread on the side, which paired beautifully. It’s a keeper for sure!
Amazing!! Great way to get kiddos to eat their veggies 🙂
This is fantastic. Once in a while, I “treat myself“ to Panera’s version but I’m lactose intolerant so I have to be cautious. I made this for lunch today with Lactaid milk and frozen cauliflower and it was absolutely delicious. I like that it’s a slightly healthier version with more lactose-friendly ingredients, bonus points because sharp cheddar is lactose free.
Perfect! So glad you found this one!
This was delicious! I just the pre-cut cauliflower and broccoli, so I just used one bag of each (equal sized bags). I didn’t really finely chop them, just used scissors to make the big pieces smaller. I was worried there wasn’t enough liquid to cook them, but with a lid on they steamed.
I did use 2% Fairlife milk because we need lactose free over here.
I blended everything with an immersion blender. My soup looks much more green than the picture, but ite very yummy.
Next time, I will sautee the onion and carrots a couple more minutes and maybe throw the bags of cauliflower and broccoli in the microwave to get them started steaming so everything is slightly more tender. Some of my veggies still had a little crunch to them, but they were soft enough to blend.
Overall, very yummy and refreshing on this 35 degree day.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Can you use frozen veggies?
Yes, that should work!
SO yummy and easy. I used half fat milk and kept the ratios the same and it was still perfect.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This was so delicious! Even my meat loving husband loved it. Will definitely be making this again.
Question. Regardinf the cheese-mild, medium or sharp?
Please answer, I really want to make this.
Thanks in advance
Hi Darlene! I personally love sharp cheddar here.
Love this! I probably used more cauliflower than listed just because I had a huge head. I subbed a 5 oz can of evaporated milk for the whole milk. I blended with a hand blender so most of it was blended, leaving only a few larger chunks and a good bunch of smaller ones. The flavor was perfect and so was the texture. I was worried that the title said “lighted up” and it would be too thin or lacking flavor but it went way beyond my expectations! Next time I’ll make a double batch!
So glad you had success even with a few modifications!
This is my daughter’s most requested soup recipe. So easy, love that it has broccoli and cauliflower.
Amazing! Great way to get veggies in 🙂
This soup is SO GOOD! Such a delicious and comforting meal!
So happy you love it!
Pretty darn good, just missing some herbs to round it out. Next time I would add some thyme and a bay leaf before simmering the soup. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Glad you enjoyed! Feel free to adjust as you’d like next time 🙂