This Veggie Packed Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is packed with broccoli, carrots, potato, cauliflower and onion. It has a really smooth and creamy texture but only uses low fat milk!
I promise one of these days I will post a chunky soup recipe on here, but you all know how much I love my creamy soups! I especially love this Veggie Packed Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup because it’s packed with 10 cups of vegetables. It’s super creamy and no one would know that it’s secretly healthy.
Salads aren’t always as appetizer when it’s 20 degrees F outside, so if you’re missing your veggies this winter season, this is the perfect soup recipe for you!
Creamy Broccoli Soup Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Roux – The roux is made up of equal parts butter and flour. You can use regular butter or vegan butter here.
- Broth and Milk – I used 2% milk for my milk to keep the recipe a little bit lighter but you can use any kind of milk you like, including plant based milk. I have made this recipe successfully using unsweetened almond milk.
- Vegetables – Not only are we using about 6 cups of broccoli in this soup, but we are also adding cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. You could even add other veggies if you like!
- Cheese – I like to use an extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese for this soup because I love how much flavor it adds. If you prefer a more mild cheese you can you that instead though. I have not tried this recipe using vegan cheese, because I just haven’t found one I enjoy that much, but if you have one that you like that will melt well, you could definitely use that!
How To Make Healthier Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the butter, onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent, 3-4 minutes and then add in flour. Stir everything together and cook the roux for about 30 – 60 seconds.
- Next, pour in the milk and broth. Mix well and then add the cauliflower, potato, carrot and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything together.
- Turn heat to low, place the lid on top of the pot but leave a small crack. Bring soup to a simmer and let cook until all the vegetables are fork tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly and watching to make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.
- Once soup is finished cooking, transfer it to a blender or food processor. You may need to do this in two batches and make sure to be careful when handling hot soup! Blend soup to desired consistency, I like mine pretty creamy with a few chunks still in there, and then pour back into the pot.
- Add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted. The soup should be warm enough to melt the cheese without turning the heat back on, but you are welcome to if you want. Give the soup a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. The amount of salt you need will depend on how salty your vegetable broth is. I always find that I need to put in more salt than I would think because there are a lot of veggies packed in there!
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to enjoy later. I like to top mine with some extra shredded cheese and chunks of broccoli. Crackers or bread make a great addition to the meal!
Cheddar Broccoli Soup Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe vegan? No, I used dairy butter, milk and cheese. You could easy make this recipe vegan by adding in vegan cheese shreds or nutritional yeast.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes!
- What kind of milk should I use? I usually make this soup using 2% milk. I’ve also made it with unsweetened almond milk. You can use whatever type of milk you usually drink.
- What kind of cheese should I use? I like to use extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese. Since we are adding the cheese into the soup, the sharper the better! If you aren’t a fan of sharp cheeses you can use sometime milder.
- Can this broccoli cheddar soup be frozen? Yes, allow soup to cool completely and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- How long will leftover soup keep in the refrigerator? Refrigerator soup in an airtight container for about 4 days. Re-heat in microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Budget Friendly Recipe Tips
- Frozen broccoli can be used in place of fresh broccoli.
- I like to use a vegetable broth concentrate rather than buying cartons of liquid broth that goes bad quickly once opened. I use this vegetable kind from Better Than Bouillon and it lasts me such a long time.
Looking For More Creamy Vegetarian Soup Recipes?
Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
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Veggie Packed Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is packed with about 10 cups of vegetables! It’s hearty, healthy and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 medium sized onion, small diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk, or milk of choice
- 3 –4 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick you like your soup. I like for the broth to just cover all the veggies.
- 1 cup peeled and small diced russet potato
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 2 cups small cauliflower florets
- 5–6 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 (8 oz) block extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, and more for topping soup if desired
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the butter, onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent, 3-4 minutes and then add in flour. Stir everything together and cook the roux for about 30 – 60 seconds.
- Next, pour in the milk and broth. Mix well and then add the cauliflower, potato, carrot and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything together.
- Turn heat to low, place the lid on top of the pot but leave a small crack. Bring soup to a simmer and let cook until all the vegetables are fork tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly and watching to make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.
- Once soup is finished cooking, transfer it to a blender or food processor. You may need to do this in two batches and make sure to be careful when handling hot soup! Blend soup to desired consistency, I like mine pretty creamy with a few chunks still in there, and then pour back into the pot.
- Add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted. The soup should be warm enough to melt the cheese without turning the heat back on, but you are welcome to if you want. Give the soup a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. The amount of salt you need will depend on how salty your vegetable broth is. I always find that I need to put in more salt than I would think because there are a lot of veggies packed in there!
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to enjoy later. I like to top mine with some extra shredded cheese and chunks of broccoli. Crackers or bread make a great addition to the meal!
Notes
Make sure to cut all the vegetables fairly small, especially the potatoes and carrots because we need them to cook as quickly as the broccoli and cauliflower do.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Cuisine: American
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