Cozy up with a bowl of lightened-up Broccoli Cauliflower Soup made with fresh or frozen veggies! Blending half the soup lends the best silky texture contrast. Russet potato and flour help thicken the soup--no heavy cream or cheese needed. You'd never guess it's dairy free! With over 100 five-star ratings, this tested and perfected recipe is on the table in 35 minutes. I love it with seedy bread for dipping!
Amidst all my beloved veggie-loaded soups, lately I've been craving the ultra comforting goodness that is this better-for-you cream of broccoli and cauliflower soup situation.
And the fact that you can dump frozen veggies right into the pot, no chopping needed? What a dream. A true one pot wonder!
Like my lightened up creamy potato soup, the token creaminess comes not from whole milk or cream or cheese, but rather potato and a simple roux. More fiber, less fat, ya dig?
Basically you're 100% guaranteed to slurp up and smile.
5-Star Reader Reviews ★★★★★
"Absolutely delicious! I made this last night and not only was it quick and easy, the flavor was amazing. My whole family loved it." --Sarah
"Such a delicious and comforting soup as the weather shifts to winter. I didn't have nutritional yeast so I used aged cheddar and regular milk. Great suggestion on topping it off with some Parmesan and olive oil. I will definitely make this again!" --DPW
"This is my favorite go-to soup because it's so tasty AND very forgiving. I've made it without onion, potato, subbed vegan cheese for nutritional yeast and I've even skipped the sautéing steps in the beginning when I'm in a hurry and it always turns out delicious anyway! I love all your recipes (and this is one of the best! 🙂" --Erin
Notes from recipe testing
- Browning onion: The first time I tested this, I softened the onion per uge without browning it. Ever in search of more depth of flavor, I browned the onion the next time I made it and it made a big difference!
- Fresh or frozen: I've made this soup with just fresh veg (love the bags of pre-chopped to save time) all frozen, and a combo. It turns out amazing regardless, making this even more versatile.
- Potato: It was clear in testing that starchy russet potato helps naturally thicken the soup (and add classic broccoli soup flavor)!
- Nutritional yeast: This is one of my secret weapons for cheezy umami flavor sans cheese; don't skip it! The dietitian in me loves that it's packed with protein and B vitamins, too! That said, many readers go for cheddar instead (check the comments). Both are delish here, with cheese obviously being more decadent.
- Lemon juice and Dijon: This isn't a recipe where the lemon juice is optional. Trust me when that it MAKES this soup! (I actually increased it to 1 ½ tbsp because it adds such necessary brightness.) I added Dijon to this recipe years later when I wanted more of the sharp pop that cheese provides. The mustard is a flavor game changer!
Let's make it!
Storing leftovers
This soup gets will keep stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
It's also super easy to pull out of the freezer when you haven't thought of lunch. Simply place completely cooled soup in a large freezer baggie. Tightly seal bag and remove as much air as possible. Lay the bag flat in the freezer for easy storage.
Once the soup is frozen, you can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat contents over the stove or in the microwave. Easy!
Cozy up [in your fuzzy socks] with a bowl of this sensational soup, your favorite Netflix series, and Frank Sinatra in the background. Best day ever!
Print
Creamy Healthy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cozy up with a bowl of lightened-up Broccoli Cauliflower Soup made with fresh or frozen veggies! Blending half the soup lends the best silky texture contrast. Russet potato and flour help thicken the soup--no heavy cream or cheese needed. You'd never guess it's dairy free! With over 100 five-star ratings, this tested and perfected recipe is on the table in 35 minutes. I love it with seedy bread for dipping!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 cups fresh or frozen chopped broccoli (1 medium head)
- 4 cups fresh or frozen chopped cauliflower (1 medium head)
- 1 small-medium russet potato, diced (I prefer to peel)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup milk of choice*
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt (to taste), plus lots of freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast (can sub 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, ½ tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper and sauté, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, or until you've got some good browning happening. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and potato and cook for another 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well until it disappears.
- Add broth, milk and another 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast or cheese, Dijon and lemon juice. Taste and make sure the flavors really pop!
- I like to carefully blend about half the soup until creamy in a high-speed blender (don't over-blend or potatoes become gluey) and leave half chunky for texture. You can also use an immersion blender. The soup will thicken significantly as it cools.
Notes
*I blend 1 cup water with 3 tbsp cashews in Nutribullet until super smooth and creamy. For a richer soup, you can use ⅓ cup cashews. Many readers have successfully made this with 2% milk (and the 1 cup cheese option).
If you're salt sensitive, you can reduce the salt. But know that enough salt here can make all the difference between bland and flavorful! The lemon is key for that, too.
Jan says
I'm confused. You write about using cashews in the recipe in your notes, but I don't see cashews listed in the ingredients list. Do you use a cashew cream in place of the milk in the recipe?
Jan
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Hi Jan, yes, that's if I'm making homemade cashew milk for the 1 cup milk called for in recipe.