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.
This soup is incredible! One of my favs to make. Just make it and you’ll be so happy you did!
So happy to hear that!
What can I substitute for the carrots that won’t mess up the flavor? My husband is allergic 🙁
Feel free to just add more cauliflower and broccoli!
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 🙂
This soup is SO GOOD! Such a delicious and comforting meal!
So happy you love it!
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 🙂
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!
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.
This was so delicious! Even my meat loving husband loved it. Will definitely be making this again.
SO yummy and easy. I used half fat milk and kept the ratios the same and it was still perfect.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Can you use frozen veggies?
Yes, that should work!
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!
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!
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 🙂
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 🙂
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!
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!
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 🙂
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 🙂
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!
Did you use a white cheddar cheese or orange?
Looks yummy!
I mix it up sometimes! Either will be delicious 🙂
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!
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!!
This is so good! I added 1 potato to the recipe too. It’s 10/10.
Perfect!!
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.
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!!
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!
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 🙂
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!
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 🙂
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!
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.
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 it exactly as written, with the suggested change for unsweetened almond milk. Delicious.
So glad you’re loving this recipe ❤️
can this be cooked in the crockpot? what the steps?
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. 🙂
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!
Excellent!! It definitely turned out at least 6 servings for us. With crusty bread it’s amazing!