Broccoli Cheese Soup

This broccoli cheese soup is a lighter take on the cold weather classic. Packed with spinach and broccoli and made with almond milk instead of heavy cream, it’s a nutritious lunch or dinner option. 

Despite not having any heavy cream, this soup is still wonderfully creamy thanks to the addition of yukon potatoes. 

It also has all the cheesiness that you’d want from a broccoli cheese soup, but with slightly less cheese. The secret is using very sharp cheddar and a little feta cheese — both of which have a rich flavor that allows you to use slightly less cheese than many traditional recipes. 

Ingredient notes

• Any milk will work. However keep in mind that soy and coconut milks have stronger flavors and will affect the taste of the soup. 
• To make this soup lower in sodium, use half low-sodium broth and half regular broth. 
• While I haven’t tried it, to lower the carb count you could use cauliflower florets instead of the potatoes. 
• I prefer blending all of the soup, but if you prefer to have some chunks of potatoes and broccoli, blend about 2/3 of the soup.

 

Print Recipe

Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

 

Course: Soup

Keyword: Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Servings: 6

Calories: 232kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or more to taste
• Pinch black pepper or more to taste
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes washed and diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups 2% fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 large head broccoli cut into florets and then roughly chopped
• Pinch red pepper flakes for serving

Instructions

• In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
• Add in the spinach, flour, onion powder, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir to combine, then stir in the vegetable broth, almond milk, and diced potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
• Next, stir in the feta cheese, cheddar cheese, and chopped broccoli florets. Cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes, or until the broccoli is soft. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and blend until mostly smooth. You may need to do this in batches. Option to use a hand-held immersion blender instead.
• Return the soup to the soup pot. Option to serve immediately or cover and keep warm over low heat. Serve with pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutrition

 

Servings 6 | 232 Calories per Serving

 

10g fat (5g saturated), 23mg cholesterol, 819mg sodium, 24g carb, 5g fiber, 2g sugar, and 12g protein