Last week I wrote a break-up letter to cauliflower in response to the ridiculously high prices it’s been commanding due to the recent shortage. I’m sad to be eating less cauliflower, but on a positive note, broccoli and I have gotten back together.
I know there are already eleventy-billion cheesy broccoli soup recipes out there, but since I make this one all the time, and it is not only easy but incredibly tasty and satisfying, I thought I’d share it with you anyway.
As an ironic side note, I’ve been introduced to the joys of the parmesan cheese chip lately and I’m hooked. Why ironic? I was so outraged over paying $7 for a head of cauliflower that I wrote an irate letter and boycotted it (at least temporarily) due to the price – buuuuuuuttt when it comes to Parmesan (or Asiago YUM) cheese crisps that I could easily make at home for literally pennies???
I paid $4.99 for a 7 oz bag that had maybe 15 chips in it.
And I’d do it again.
Just look away OK, I can’t bear to see you witness my shame….
Parmesan cheese crisps (homemade or otherwise) are a super tasty crunchy addition to this low carb broccoli & cheddar soup. You can also set aside some smaller pieces of cooked broccoli to add to this soup if you want a chunkier texture.
I wanted this low carb broccoli soup to be basic at its foundation – but you can easily throw in some chopped bacon, chicken or ham to make it even heartier if you prefer!
Full disclosure – I made this entire soup in the microwave, so there is no stove required. I know some of you are gasping in horror because you think the microwave is the devil, but some people are living in dorm rooms where all they have is a microwave, and those people are psyched right now. 🙌 👊 🍵
You can absolutely make this cheesy broccoli soup on the stovetop – just saying you don’t NEED to if it’s not an option or you’re pressed for time.
Finally, I used beef broth in this low carb soup recipe, which I think enhances the flavor of the broccoli and cheese more than chicken broth does. You can use chicken broth if you prefer it though.
Also, you will greatly increase the health benefits of this (or any) low carb soup by using homemade broth from actual bones instead of store-bought. If using a purchased broth, you can increase the health benefits by adding a few tablespoons of beef collagen powder to it, which will also make your soup slightly thicker.
Low Carb Cream of Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
This easy low carb broccoli & cheddar soup is delicious and comforting. Vegetarian if you use a vegetable broth, or you can add chicken or ham to make it heartier! Keto & Atkins friendly.
- Yield: 6 one cup servings
- Category: Low Carb Soup Recipe
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Cook the broccoli florets for 4 minutes in the microwave on high (or steam them on the stove.) Combine the broccoli and other ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth. Cook on high in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir and cook another 2 minutes, repeat one more time and serve hot. Alternatively, simmer in a pot on the stove for about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per serving: 255 calories, 22g fat, 3g net carbs, 7g protein
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This soup was fantastic! Other than initially steaming the broccoli in the microwave, I made it entirely in my Vitamix! I was hesitant about using beef broth, but OMG will never go back to chicken; it was that sublime. The soup was hot, thick, frothy and steamy. I realized later that I’d forgotten to add the cream and butter. I made another batch with all ingredients and it too was wondeful! I am happy for the error in my initial batch as I have some friends and family who enjoy LC eating but don’t necessarily want so much fat. Such a home run and I didn’t need to turn on the stove. How great! Thanks, Melissa.
feel really bad with this review after all tbose positive ones but I found this soup really unappealing. The 4 mins was not nearly enough to cook 4 cups of broccoli so had to add more time. Still not cooked through but I thought maybe the extra 6 mins after blending would do the trick. Nope. I’m sorry to say I thought the flavour and texture were both quite horrible. I’m now going to whizz it in my Nutribullet to see if I can get the texture ri¥ght and try and add something else for flavour. Once again I’m sorry I had to make this,review. All ingredients were correct so I’m not sure why it wasn’t as great as everyone else seemed to find it.
★
Maybe one of your ingredients was spoiled or something – I love this soup and make it all the time!
Have you tried freezing this soup? We are doing a 4 week road trip and hauling our 5th wheel. I’m looking for some soups to make ahead and freeze for a quick keto meal on the road. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it – should work though the cream might separate?
This soup is fantastic. I dont have a blender so I used my food processor to grind up the broccoli. I then cooked it on the stovetop with the beef broth. Great suggestion by the way as the beef broth gives it a more robust flavor. The result was not 100% smooth and creamy, you still had tiny rice sized broccoli. However I loved it because it felt more hearty and filling than a smooth soup. So happy I found your recipe!!!
Hi Could you post this with the actual amount of carbs?
Most websites have told me that saying “net carbs” is usually what lowfat companies do to trick people and that that number is highly misleading.
As someone who eats 20g carbs a day (standard keto diet) Im very curious.
WOW! This is hands-down the best low-carb soup I’ve had in a long time, never mind, best broccoli soup. After making a batch, I decided since I still had enough ingredients and the necessary tools already dirty, I’d make another batch.
What I did: Per your directions, I steamed the broccoli in the microwave for 4 minutes. After that was done, everything went into my Vitamix blender. True to your endorsement, the beef broth adds the zip that chicken broth seems to lack. Since my broth was store-bought, I added the beef gelatin. A day later the soup was a soft, poofy texture, not think and runny. After filling my mug and heating it in the microwave, it was like the day I made it … thick, soupy AND delicious!
I can throw all other Broccoli Cheddar soup recipes away. Again: ease, few in number (yet) common ingredients and flavor ranks this the BEST!
★★★★★
This is one of my most favorite soups. It is a comfort food and is so good. I love a good broccoli soup and this looks terrific. We all love broccoli, so this was an easy choice to make.
BTW I don blame you on the chips theey sound divine :)
★★★★★
Hi Mellissa! I just wanted to say Thank You for this recipe. Really, all your recipes. I appreciate all the work you put in to developing recipes. And thank you for sharing.
And this soup is divine! I recently took this to a quilting retreat to share with my fellow quilters. They had no idea it was low carb! But they did sing praises.
Wow! I am always — ALWAYS — disappointed in super simple soup recipes. Not the case here at all. This soup is incredibly tasty. I made it on the stovetop, and since I had no onion powder, added a few tablespoons of diced onion to cook with the broccoli + broth. Topped with shredded parmesan. Amazing!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this recipe! I loved it!
★★★★★
I just made this for lunch… delicious!! I adapted it for a single serving because I only had one small head of broccoli, and added a few turkey meatballs to top it off. YUM! Definitely will make again!
I just plugged the recipe into My Fitness Pal and the macros are way off. The only difference is I plan to use chicken broth instead of beef. MFP puts the net carbs at 24 :( That would make it a no-go for me. I’m bummed! Could I be missing something?
MFP is notoriously inaccurate at counting carbs.
I plugged it in too. If you go look at the defaults they pull you will see that they have 1/2 tsp of onion powder at 144 carbs! Just select an alternate with the blue check mark. I always take a quick peek for recipes to catch those insane ones. I did use net carbs for the broccoli only and this makes it 3 carbs per cup. Good luck!
Made this last night and this afternoon.. SO good! The beef broth definitely gives it a much richer flavor. Made this on the stop top, and used my immersion blender. Topped with more cheese and bacon bits. Fantastic recipe!
★★★★★
Melissa, I totally agree on the cheese crisps! So yummy! I now buy the Whisps brand (Cello parmesan cheese) at Costco where the bag has a whopping 9.5 ounces for about $10! Now that’s a bargain over what I was paying before. I love the texture of the crisps in soup. I make a cream of asparagus soup I serve cold, and the crisps are delicious with it! I will be trying this soup recipe too, as it’s a perfect HFLC meal! Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
This is super yummy! So happy I found this! Fast and delicious and easy to make, easy to alter as well, if you want to cut more carbs.
★★★★★
This sounds great. I am thinking it would work great with Cauliflower or Brussel sprouts. Same cooking method would apply. I will try it a see.
★★★★★
I used vegetable broth instead, and also added a bit more mustard powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. I sprinkled a little parmesan and red pepper flakes on top. SO DELICIOUS Thank you for this! What do you think the best way to portion out and store this is?
Fanfreakintastic! This is my new favorite broccoli cheddar soup! Made some parm crisps to go with it. Mellissa, you are Awe-mazing!
YAY!!!! So glad you liked it!!
The beef broth*definitely* makes a difference. Trust your instincts (and taste buds)!
I used Penzey’s beef broth concentrate and added some collagen powder. Next time I’ll use homemade broth and I think it will be even better.
I just made this for a women’s gathering tomorrow where I know that many of those attending are eating low carb high fat. It is delicious and hardly took any time at all to make. I don’t have a microwave, but it was very easy to make on the stovetop. I quadrupled the recipe and it fit perfectly in a 6 quart slow cooker.
When I signed up to bring soup a week ago, I hadn’t decided what soup to bring that was low carb. When I saw this one posted this week, I knew it would be perfect. Thanks!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Ann and I hope it’s a hit with the group too!
The soup was a huge hit with the group. Many asked for the recipe, so I forwarded your post to them. The woman organizing the event even came up to me during lunch and said that I better get in line now if I wanted any of my soup.
I agree with you about the beef broth–it does give it a richer flavor. Thanks for suggesting it. I will try it with more veggie based soups in the future.
I’m thrilled to hear that it went over so well Ann – and the beef broth really does make a difference right?!? So glad it wasn’t all in my head lol! :)
Melissa,
How have you been doing since you re-started again?
I’ve been doing well Vanessa and it feels good to be back on track!
That’s excellent to hear :) I just started the ketosis plan w a LOT of help from you and your blog. It’s been just over a week.
Your recipe is so convenient. It is cold here and if I can make a delicious and healthy soup in minutes, I will be one happy woman :)
You and me both Muna! Enjoy! :)
I have been so hungry for soup! Going to make this for lunch. Thank you!!
Made it and added crumbled bacon on top. Fabulous!
So glad you liked it Dorothy, thanks for letting me know!