Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

Name: Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (use regular or light - not extra virgin); 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium to large); 1 cup diced celery (about 2 large ribs); 1 cup diced onion (about 1 small to medium ); salt and pepper (to taste); 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 cups water; 4 teaspoons chicken base (such as Better Than Bouillon); 3 cups fresh broccoli florets; 3 cups fresh cauliflower florets; 1 cup half and half; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

October 16, 2019 by Michelle | 61 Comments

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This easy, creamy Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup takes everyone’s favorite broccoli cheese soup and amps it up with even more good-for-you veggies, and it’s ready in less than an hour!

bowl of broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup with a spoon in it

One of the reasons I love soup is it’s a delicious way to eat your vegetables. This soup is the perfect example – you start with 9 cups of raw veggies!

But that’s not what you’ll be thinking about while you’re eating it. You’ll just be thinking about how yummy it is…creamy, cheesy, and full of fabulous flavor!

I love classic broccoli cheese soup, but I’ll be honest – I’m picky about it. I want it creamy and slightly thick – not super thick to the point where it’s like paste.

I’m not a huge fan of the texture of pureed soups (too much like baby food for me), so I want little chunks of broccoli in there – and lots of them. I want the soup to be super flavorful, and I want to actually taste the cheese.

Who’s with me on this one?

Sadly, too many times when I have ordered broccoli cheese soup out, I have indeed gotten a bowl of thick, pasty, overly pureed, where’s-the-broccoli, is-there-really-cheese-in-here, how-long-ago-was-this-soup-made, gray, flavorless soup.

You’ve been there too. Am I right?

The answer? You know what I’m going to say. Make it at home, of course. That way, I get exactly what I want!

spoonful of broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup being taken out of the bowl

First and foremost, I want lots of veggies (look at them all – you’re not getting that in most restaurant or canned soups), so along with the broccoli I add cauliflower, carrots (love the pop of color they add), celery, and onions.

I add a little flour to lightly thicken the soup, but I don’t add so much that it ends up being super thick and pasty.

I use chicken base (Better Than Bouillon is my favorite brand #notsponsored) and water for the broth because I find that it has so much more flavor than canned or boxed chicken broth.

Instead of pureeing the soup, I mash the veggies with a potato masher until they get to exactly the texture I want. I don’t want to wrangle with big pieces; I just want nice little bits that I can see and actually have to chew (If you want to puree it, though, go right ahead!).

Finally, I add some half and half to make the soup creamy and then some sharp cheddar cheese so that you know there’s cheese in there!

pot of broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup with a ladle in it

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:

Olive oil (regular or light – extra virgin not recommended)
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Salt and pepper
All-purpose flour
Water
Chicken base (such as Better Than Bouillon)
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Half and half*
Sharp cheddar cheese

*Half-and-half is simply a mixture of equal parts milk and cream. You can find it in the dairy aisle of the grocery store next to the milk and cream. If you can’t get it, you can just make your own mixture of half milk and half cream (I would use heavy cream).

HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE SOUP:

three images showing the steps to make broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup

three images showing how to make broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup

two images showing how to make broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup

Super easy, right? And it only takes about 40 minutes – including chopping all the veggies. You’ll be sitting down to a bowl of this warm and comforting soup before you know it!

TIPS AND TIDBITS:

I prefer using fresh veggies for the best flavor and texture, but you can use frozen broccoli and cauliflower. Just make sure you reduce the cooking time so they don’t get too mushy.
You can use boxed or canned chicken broth/stock instead of the chicken base and water (but I can’t guarantee it will be as flavorful!).
Since I use flour to thicken the soup, this recipe is not gluten-free. However, you could omit the flour to make it gluten-free and then use your favorite gluten-free thickening agent and method (such as cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca starch, etc.) to thicken the soup.
I don’t recommend freezing this soup. Soups with dairy in them can separate and have an odd texture when frozen and reheated.

bowl of broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup topped with extra cheese and cajun spiced oyster crackers

I know it’s gilding the lily a bit, but I usually top my soup with a little extra cheese. I also like to sprinkle on some of my Cajun-Spiced Oyster Crackers for some crunch and extra flavor. Grilled cheese cut up into croutons also makes an excellent topper!

Oh, and it’s also fabulous with some of my Easy Cheesy Garlic Biscuits!

I hope you try this recipe for Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!

Cajun-Spiced Oyster Crackers
Spicy Tomato Vegetable Soup
Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana)
Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Easy Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

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