Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup
This Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup is creamy, cozy, and packed with cheesy flavor, but without any flour or cream. By blending cauliflower into the base, this broccoli cheese soup turns velvety smooth while staying gluten free and low carb. It tastes just like the classic you love, but with extra veggies and a lighter feel, making it perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or an easy keto-friendly meal.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
The Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup used to be one of my favorite things, especially scooped up with a big hunk of sourdough bread. But since I had to go gluten free, I haven’t been able to just go there anymore and order a You-Pick-Two. Now I make my own broccoli cheese soup, which is just as creamy and cheesy, naturally gluten free, and packs in something that makes this maybe an even better Panera copycat recipe.
Yes, if the sneakiest vegetable of all can become cauliflower tots, then it can certainly make a delicious soup. Unlike cauliflower posing as pizza crust, it truly blends into a silky-smooth and rich base for this cozy soup!
Why You Need to Make Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup With Cauliflower
You won’t believe how velvety and comforting it is. There are so many reasons to love it, like these…
- No flour or cream. Instead of a flour-based roux or cornstarch slurry, it’s thickened with cauliflower. So it’s naturally low carb and gluten free, but also a little lighter, while still being smooth and creamy.
- More veggies. Yes, pureeing cauliflower ups the vegetable content, which is always a good thing, especially if you have picky eaters.
- Looks and tastes inviting. Some keto broccoli cheese soup recipes use pureed broccoli. But by using cauliflower, you still keep the carb count low without giving it a strange greenish color. And a combination of sharp cheddar with dry mustard and nutmeg just gives you a nice, cheesy flavor, not a veggie-forward taste.
Recipe Ingredients
This comforting broccoli cheese soup recipe feels so comforting and indulgent, but it’s made with a simple list of wholesome ingredients that are all naturally gluten free. Here’s some information you might need, but you can get the full amounts and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil
- Onion – feel free to use less, skip it altogether, or try a bit of onion powder to reduce the carb count further.
- Cauliflower – one large head, approximately 2 lbs total, yielding 3 to 4 cups or about 1.5 lbs of florets.
- Nutmeg – just a pinch is known to enhance the flavor of any creamy sauce.
- Dry mustard – adds sharpness to help it taste extra cheesy. I always add Colman’s Mustard Powder to my cheese or egg dishes.
- Cayenne pepper – optional, but just a pinch wakes up the flavors.
- Chicken or vegetable broth – from a carton or homemade. I typically use the Kirkland brand from Costco.
- Broccoli – about 3 cups of florets that can be fresh or frozen. If you use frozen, just keep an eye on it and don’t overcook it or the broccoli can get mushy.
- Carrots – julienned or finely diced. It can be omitted for a keto soup, but they add a nice color and texture.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – definitely opt for a nice, sharp cheddar for the best flavor.
- Salt and pepper – season to taste.
- Garnishes – add some cooked bacon, a sprinkle of more shredded cheese, or even some minced chives.
How to Make Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup
You won’t believe how simple it is! Let’s look at what to do…
- Saute the veggies. In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil. Add the cauliflower, nutmeg, dry mustard, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for a minute or two. Then add the chicken broth to the pot.
- Simmer and puree. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the cauliflower is tender enough to be mashed easily with a fork. Use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until it is smooth and creamy.
- Cook the veggies. Return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Add the broccoli and carrots, and cook until the broccoli is tender.
- Add the cheese. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese a little at a time. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese and crumbled bacon, if desired.
Tips for Success
- Use the right pot. I like to use a heavy-bottomed pot, such as enameled cast iron. With a nice, large soup pot, you can saute the vegetables in the pot, then return the pureed soup to the same pot to let it simmer. And a heavy pot distributes the heat better, so the vegetables can saute and caramelize without scorching. And while this soup doesn’t have to simmer for a long time, if you want to keep it warm, it can stay over low heat for a longer time without burning.
- Choose how to blend it. Also called a hand blender or stick blender, an immersion blender allows you to puree the soup right in the pot without transferring it to a blender. This makes it easier, with less mess to clean up. But you can also use a regular blender, transferring it in portions if needed. For the smoothest, most silky soup, I love to use my Blendtec Designer 725. The Wildside+ Jar is nice and big, so you don’t have to blend it in batches, as you would with a smaller blender, and it gets perfectly smooth in seconds. You can even use the “Soup” setting to keep it hot while you blend it. I am a Blendtec ambassador, and should you make any purchases through that link, I will receive a small commission, but that also means you can use the code CUPCAKESANDKALECHIPS to receive 20% off.
- Cook enough, but not too much. When simmering the cauliflower, you want to make sure it gets very soft so that it purees very smoothly, so you have a velvety soup. But once you’ve added the broccoli, cook until it is just tender so that it doesn’t get mushy and fall apart.
- Add the cheese gradually. Keep the heat low and add a little at a time, letting it melt completely before adding more, so that you don’t curdle the cauliflower broccoli cheese soup.
- Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the bacon garnish.
Recipe FAQ’s
Why is my broccoli cheddar soup grainy?
The first reason the soup can be grainy or clumpy is that you added the cheese too fast. If you add it all at once, it will clump and not fully melt and distribute to give you the velvety texture.
Second is that your heat is too high, either while you add the cheese or after it has been added. The proteins in the cheese tighten up and cause the fat to separate, giving you a curdled consistency and a greasy soup. Once you have started adding the cheese to the soup, you want to be sure you do not let it boil.
How do you add cheese to soup?
To prevent these problems, you’ll add the cheese at the very end, after the soup is pureed, and the broccoli is cooked to the desired doneness. Then, reduce the heat to low and add the cheese a little at a time. Stir and allow each addition to melt completely and become fully distributed and smooth before adding any more. Then slowly allow it to come back to the desired temperature without letting it boil.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. If it begins to smell off, then throw it away.
- Reheat – Transfer the leftover soup to a pot on the stove over very low heat and reheat slowly and gently to avoid boiling, as this will cause it to curdle. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but again, you’ll want to do this carefully to avoid curdling. Use 50% power and stir frequently.
Can broccoli cheese soup be frozen?
I would not recommend freezing this broccoli cauliflower cheese soup. Creamy soups typically do not freeze well, as the fats tend to separate when frozen and reheated, leading to an undesirable texture. Also, the broccoli florets will become mushy. So while not unsafe, it would not be as delicious.
Make it a Meal
This soup is truly satisfying on its own, but there are plenty of delicious options to serve with it.
- Keep it keto. Garnish with bacon or a few keto cheddar crackers.
- Add some bread. If you aren’t low carb, it’s delicious to sop it up with a hunk of Gluten Free French Bread or some Gluten Free Soft Breadsticks.
- Serve with a salad. Drizzle it with Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing or Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Have it as a side. Serve it with with easy cube steaks or Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets.
More low carb soup recipes
- Low Carb Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Greek Avgolemono Soup with Zoodles
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme
- Easy Vegetable Soup for a Cold (swap the potatoes for more cauliflower to keep it keto-friendly)
- Low Carb Chile Relleno Chicken Soup from All Day I Dream About Food
Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 1 head cauliflower , core removed and chopped into small florets (about 3-4 cups of florets)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 3 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 1/3 cup julienned carrots (1-2 carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese , plus more for sprinkling on top, if desired
- crumbled bacon , optional for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 small yellow onion, chopped, and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, and a pinch salt and pepper, and saute for a minute or two.
- Add 4 cups chicken broth, cover, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender, such that it can be mashed easily with a fork. You can break it up a little while it's cooking to help speed the process along.
- Use an immersion blender, or transfer the mixture to a blender, and puree until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot over medium heat and add 3 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets and 1/3 cup julienned carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender (if you are using frozen broccoli, you only need to cook until the broccoli is thawed and heated through).
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese a little at a time. If you want a thinner soup, add additional broth, cream, milk, or water to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese and crumbled bacon , if desired.
Notes
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My family and I love this recipe. I am wondering if you have the nutritional information for it? I would like to know the net carbs per serving?
Hi Kelly! I’m glad you like the soup recipe! Because nutritional value can change depending on the ingredients used, I don’t have a total for you, but I use this site to calculate nutritional information for recipes and it works really well: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Hi, I tried your soup around September last year and I thought it was delicious! My church is now having a soup supper and they are going to let me put this one on the menu!!! Do you know how many cups this makes? I need to fill 1 roaster.
Thanks,
Jessie
Hi Jessie,
I’m so glad to hear that you love the soup! There are 4 cups of broth in the recipe, but the veggies take up some room too, so I’d say that you’ll have about 6 servings of soup from this recipe.
Can you purée the broccoli so it is a smoother soup? If so would you cook it with the cauliflower or follow recipe through as is and purée just before adding cheese?
I have not tried this. I would think you might need to decrease the amount of cauliflower or increase the broth so it isn’t too thick.
My husband is on a low carb kick, I’m allergic to casein and we have two boys. As you can imagine, it’s getting hard to find something we all can and will eat. This was a hit! I kept out a portion before adding the cheese and put it in a little saucepan for me, then made the guys’ according to the recipe. I added Daiya cheddar to mine and steeled myself for the first bite. (I’ve never had broccoli cheese soup and sometimes the diary free cheese does weird things). This is really yummy! This will be going onto my list of regular meals to cook from!
Has anyone tried freezing it?
Wow, I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! I actually made it again last night! I have not tried freezing it though. I’m guessing with the cheese, it might thaw kind of weird.
This recipe looks great and I am planning on making this for a big group. How much many servings is one recipe?
I would say 4-6 if this was your main meal. More as a side. You might want to at least double it depending on the size of your crowd.
I love soups with cheddar cheese – yum yum!
Cheddar is better! 🙂
I love vegetable cheese soup! This looks great!
Thanks Sue!!
Broccoli Cheese is one of my faves! And this one looks it definitely wouldn’t disappoint 🙂
Mouthwatering soup and a creamy one
I love that you use Cauliflower to thicken this! How delicious!