Broccoli Cauliflower Soup (Easy to Customize)
It's easy to customize this creamy broccoli cauliflower soup to your taste. Make it thick and creamy, thin and light, puréed or chunky, dairy-free, more nutritious, lower calorie or jazzed up with garnishes.
Servings (change as needed): 5 -6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions (1 medium onion)
- 5 cups chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets (about 1/2 each broccoli and cauliflower. Note 1 to use frozen)
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)
- 1 medium potato, cut in pieces or two small potatoes
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheese, Note 2 (or 1/2 cup half and half cream or 2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- kosher salt to taste amount depends on saltiness of broth and cheese
Optional garnish
- Parmesan cheese, more grated cheese, 1-2 tsp pesto, chopped tomatoes, roasted chickpeas, diced red pepper, croutons, fresh herbs, pumpkin seeds, toasted hazelnuts, chives.
Instructions
- SAUTÉ ONIONS AND GARLIC: Heat oil in large saucepan on stovetop to medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes until starting to brown. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
- ADD BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, POTATO: Sauté for 3 minutes.
- COOK SOUP: Add broth, 1 tsp Dijon and 1 tsp thyme. Bring soup to boil, lower to medium low heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- PUREE SOUP: Use an immersion blender to puree soup fully or partially (you can leave some chunks if you like). Stir in cheese (or nutritional yeast a bit at a time). Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Adjust thickness of soup if needed: add more broth if too thick. Return to stovetop and add a cornstarch slurry if too thin, Note 3. Serve with warm crusty bread or your favorite garnishes.
Notes
- For frozen broccoli and cauliflower: You will need about 7 1/2 cups frozen (1 cup fresh = 1 1/2 frozen florets)
- Cheese options: Cheddar cheese (most common), gruyère, Swiss or blue cheese. The latter two are stronger cheeses.
- To thicken soup: Heat soup to medium heat on stovetop. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add half the cornstarch slurry and allow soup to thicken, stirring. If it's still not thick enough add the rest. You can repeat this as many times as you like.
- Variations:
- Dairy free and vegan option: Leave out the cheese or use nutritional yeast.
- Lower calorie version: Use a lower fat cheese and/or reduce the amount of cheese and add a low fat milk or yogurt for a creamier finish. Nutritional yeast is a much lower calorie alternative to cheese.
- Boost the nutrition even more: Add canned beans of chickpeas to the soup after puréeing it. Or use roasted chickpeas as a garnish. You can also sauté extra veggies with the onions such as peppers and mushrooms. Or use a sweet potato instead of a white potato.
- Flavor options: Add smoked paprika, curry powder, dried coriander or red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Thick and cheesy: add more cheese and use less broth.
- Make ahead: Store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, place soup in an airtight container or zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1396mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1518IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 306mg | Iron: 1mg