This healthy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is so easy to whip up, and is such a delicious, satisfying lunch or dinner! This broccoli cheddar soup is made with milk instead of heavy cream or half and half, and it also has nutritious bone broth.
What I love about this soup is that it has the perfect balance of being rich and cheesy, while also being light and not too heavy. This soup would be perfect to serve for lunch, perhaps with a salad and a side of sourdough bread!
I also make this soup for dinner quite often, especially when I’ve forgotten to thaw some meat! It’s sort of a backup meal for me, because I almost always have the ingredients on hand. I really appreciate how this soup is so nutritious and full of plenty of protein from the milk and bone broth — no one ever misses the meat!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Without Heavy Cream
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is made without heavy cream or half and half; instead it uses whole milk. Although I have nothing against heavy cream in soups, sometimes it’s nice to have something a bit lighter and less heavy, especially with all the cheddar cheese! Because of the flour and blended broccoli, this soup still turns out incredibly creamy and delicious. You won’t miss the heavy cream one bit!
If you do prefer a much thicker, creamier broccoli cheddar soup, you will find some suggestions for how to make broccoli cheddar soup thicker down below.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup Thicker
Although this soup is pretty thick as it is, there are multiple ways to thicken your broccoli cheddar soup even more! If you’ve already made the soup and decide that you want it to be thicker, you can take 1/4 cup of cold milk and mix it with 2 Tbsp all purpose flour until there are no lumps of flour, then pour the slurry into the simmering pot of broccoli cheddar soup, stirring constantly. Allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Another way to thicken broccoli cheddar soup is by replacing some or all of the milk with half and half or heavy cream. This will also give you a very rich flavor and creamy texture! You may also consider reducing the bone broth in the recipe by 1 cup.
The last way I would recommend thickening broccoli cheddar soup is by blending all of the broccoli chunks with an immersion blender. Usually, I like to leave several pieces of broccoli intact to give the soup more texture, but if you’re wanting something thicker, smoother, and creamier, you can just blend the soup until there are no chunks of broccoli remaining. This will give your broccoli cheddar soup a slightly thicker texture.
Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Broth
I like to use chicken bone broth in this recipe because of the health benefits and extra protein, but you can also use regular chicken broth with no issues, and it will taste just as good! Chicken broth still has lots of flavor, and it’s a little easier to have on hand for when you’re in a pinch.
Bone broth is packed full of nutrients and has much more protein than regular chicken broth. When I cook a whole chicken, I make sure to throw the bones and skin into a slow cooker with plenty of water and allow that to simmer for about 24 hours. This produces a rich, flavorful, gelatinous bone broth that is perfect to use in a soup recipe like this one!
If I’m not going to make soup or use the bone broth another way in the next day or two, I allow it to cool and store it in the freezer for a quick soup later on. I try to use bones from a pasture-raised chicken, because this will produce a higher quality, more nutritious bone broth.
Sides and Toppings for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I find that sprinkling just a bit more cheddar cheese on top of broccoli cheddar soup makes for an excellent topping. You could also top your soup with plain croutons for a little crunch and texture.
A simple way to serve broccoli cheddar soup for a meal is alongside some buttered and toasted sourdough bread or sourdough breadsticks. A great way to step up this meal and make it feel more complete would be to add a Caesar or Garden salad for a soup/salad combo!
Oftentimes times you will see broccoli cheddar soup served inside of a sourdough bread bowl, which is such a delicious experience. If you have a little extra time and know-how, this is a super fun way to serve broccoli cheddar soup to guests, or simply to impress your family!
Ingredients
1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Onion
2 Cups Chicken Broth*
3 Cups Whole Milk
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
12 oz Frozen Broccoli
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Begin by dicing up the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the diced onion and allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the onions and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Next, pour in the bone broth and milk and stir, bringing it back up to a simmer and allowing it to thicken for 5-10 minutes. Add in the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Once the soup has thickened some, pour in all of the frozen broccoli and let it cook, stirring occasionally. Allow the soup to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the broccoli is soft, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it is your desired consistency. I like to leave a few pieces of broccoli intact for texture, but you can also make it completely smooth if that’s your preference!
Notes
*I like to use bone broth in this soup, but you can also just use whatever broth you have on hand!
If you prefer to have a very thick broccoli cheddar soup, you can use heavy cream or half and half in place of the milk. You can also increase the flour by 2 Tbsp.
Get the printable recipe down below
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This creamy and healthy broccoli cheddar soup recipe is so easy to whip up, and is such a delicious, satisfying lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Onion
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth*
- 3 Cups Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
- 12 oz Frozen Broccoli
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar
Instructions
Begin by dicing up the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the diced onion and allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the onions and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Next, pour in the bone broth and milk and stir, bringing it back up to a simmer and allowing it to thicken for 5-10 minutes. Add in the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Once the soup has thickened some, pour in all of the frozen broccoli and let it cook, stirring occasionally. Allow the soup to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the broccoli is soft, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it is your desired consistency. I like to leave a few pieces of broccoli intact for texture, but you can also make it completely smooth if that's your preference!
Notes
*I like to use bone broth in this soup, but you can also just use whatever broth you have on hand!
If you prefer to have a very thick broccoli cheddar soup, you can use heavy cream or half and half in place of the milk. You can also increase the flour by 2 Tbsp.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4-5Serving Size:
1/4 RecipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 445Total Fat: 31.3gSaturated Fat: 19.8gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1699mgCarbohydrates: 22.3gFiber: 3.4gSugar: 12.6gProtein: 18.8g
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