This 21 Day Fix broccoli cheese soup is made without any milk or cream and is still creamy, velvety, and deliciously healthy comfort in a bowl. It’s also gluten free! Now with Instant Pot directions for a quick and easy dinner!
Originally published 11/15/2015, updated on 12/26/2017 to include Instant Pot Directions for a quick, easy and delicious meal that everyone will love!
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If I had to guess, I would say that broccoli cheese is probably America’s second favorite soup (right underneath the ubiquitous chicken noodle, of course) and it’s definitely my family’s favorite. Believe me, I’ve made more than a pot or two of this yummy stuff, but I had yet to make any since starting the 21 Day Fix. I’d say it was about time that I addressed this absolutely appalling oversight.
One of the main reasons that this soup was on my mind was because Thanksgiving is right around the corner and each and every year, my grandma makes her broccoli cheese soup (which is grandma-amazing*, btw) for us to enjoy on Wednesday while we chit chat and get things ready for the next day. I’ll be honest and say that it’s my favorite part of the holiday. You know, before everything gets crazy and all of the people show up. When it’s just a few of us, a couple bottles of wine and plenty of laughter and conversation. Truly though, it’s so great to make a huge pot of this wonderful stuff to eat prior to the big day. It’s so easy, and then you don’t have to think about what’s for dinner for a couple of days while you’re planning, prepping and readying for guests.
As many of you know, when making creamy soups for the Fix, the issue to overcome is the milk and/or cream used as the base, because nobody but nobody wants to waste a yellow (or two!) on a bowl of soup no matter how freaking delicious it is. Well, of course I went to my favorite all-purpose ingredient, the glorious cauliflower to make this soup taste and feel just as creamy and wonderful as the original. In fact, my husband told me that this recipe tasted exactly the same as the one that I used to make (using half and half!) – not too shabby, plus it’s lower in fat and calories! Boom.
I’m not going to lie, this one took me a couple of tries to get just right, but I really think it’s perfect and if Broccoli Cheese soup is something that you haven’t eaten in awhile either, then you are not going to want to miss out on some amazing 21 Day Fix Broccoli Cheese Soup! You truly won’t miss the milk or cream. The best part is, because there’s no milk or cream (meaning no yellows) you can serve this bowl of yum with a great piece of whole wheat bread from the bakery. I like to call that perfection.
The trick to make this recipe similar to Panera Bread’s is to cook some broccoli that’s been chopped into small pieces separately from the other veggies and add them in at the end. This is optional and up to you. If you want your soup to be completely smooth, just leave out the extra broccoli. I swear, I won’t even be mad. I love the way Panera Bread (and my grandma!) makes theirs, so I wanted some small pieces of broccoli in mine. Yum 🙂
*Grandma-amazing is a term used to describe a dish that is better than anyone else’s. Period.
Hope you guys love this one as much as we do!
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21 Day Fix Broccoli Cheese Soup {Instant Pot | Stove Top}
Ingredients
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1 (32 oz) box)
- 4 cups broccoli, roughly chopped (about 1/2 lb)
- 2 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 6 oz)
- 1/2 tsp salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces (about 1/4 lb)
- 1 1/3 cups shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Turn on the saute function, melt the butter in your pot and cook the onions and carrots in the butter until they start to soften (no need to cook all the way, the IP will do the rest!).
- Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli (DO NOT add the broccoli that you chopped into small pieces yet!), the cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt and the broth. Put the lid on and set on manual for 3 minutes, quick release when it's finished.
- You can either use an immersion blender to blend everything right in the pot, or blend in batches in a regular blender.
- Add in the finely chopped broccoli, put back on saute mode and cook until the broccoli has softened (should just take a few minutes). Stir in the cheese, add pepper to taste and serve!
Instant Pot note: I was able to do a double batch of this in my 6 qt and it fit perfectly!
Stove Top Directions:
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally until they start to soften (they will finish cooking later, so don't worry about trying to make them super soft).
- Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli (DO NOT add the broccoli that you chopped into small pieces yet!), the cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt and the broth. Cover and simmer until veggies are all VERY soft. You should be able to mash them against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.
- Meanwhile, cook the broccoli that's been chopped small in the microwave. I put them in a glass casserole dish with a lid and a couple of tablespoons of water, then cooked until very soft. It took about 5 minutes or so, but all microwaves are different so keep an eye on yours the first time you make this.
- Once veggies from the pot (with the chicken broth) are soft, puree the mixture in the blender in batches until all of the contents of the pot are pureed. Return to pot.
- Heat pot on low heat. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the cooked finely chopped broccoli until all of the cheese is melted. Add pepper to taste. Serve!
- *Just a little note - this makes a pretty thick soup, that's how my family likes it, but if your family likes it thinner, by all means, add some extra broth until it's the way you want. 🙂
Notes
21 Day Fix Container Equivalents: 2 1/2 GREEN, 1 BLUE, 1/2 TSP
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 7
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 1/2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 253 Total Fat: 15g
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I love this soup! I just got a hand blender which makes this even easier! I freeze it and have lunch for whenever!
Yes! It freezes so nicely! And I love my hand blender!
I liked this version much better than the one I used to make with half and half. I was wondering if you knew the approximate grams of protein and carbohydrates in a serving?
Thank you!!
Hi! I’m so glad you liked this recipe, it’s a family favorite! I don’t have those stats, but you can input the recipe here and My Fitness Pal will give you that info 🙂
Has anyone added a meat to this? I want to try this for my lunch but I need more protien.
I’ve had a few readers tell me that they’ve added cooked chicken to it 🙂
Hi! Sounds delish. I’m wondering what the 1/2 tsp is?
That’s to account for the butter 🙂
How did you calculate only 1.5 green per serving? There’s way more than 6 green containers used in the recipe that I counted
You’re right! That was a typo, I’m so sorry! It should say 2 1/2 Greens. Fixing it now, thank you for bringing it to my attention!
Trying this recipe today! Very excited. Smells amazing! I double checked the red container serving and now 4 cups of chicken broth is 1/2 red. So do you think you’d even count this as any red? Since it would be so minimal.
Ah! Thanks for bringing that to my attention! I knew that, but it’s hard to keep track of what recipes could use updated when they change things like that! Anyway, nope! I wouldn’t bother counting red for this at all 🙂 Hope you loved it!
Would cauliflower rice work?
Absolutely!
Thanks for this recipe! I substituted the cauliflower with two large yellow potatoes, because we didn’t have cauliflower, and it still turned out delicious. I’ll try it with cauliflower next time to see how much of a difference it makes.
I also made a slight tweak that I think a lot of people would enjoy. Instead of plain salt, I used some cherrywood smoked salt, which makes the soup taste like it has a hint of bacon in it. I also added some black truffle salt that we have just to add a bit more umami, because we didn’t have any vegetable broth left.
Hey James, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your tweaks sound delicious! Thank you for sharing them, I REALLY love black truffle salt 🙂
Can you use frozen veggies And if so would you use chopped broccoli and cauliflower and cook first?
You can definitely use frozen veggies! You should just be able to follow the directions as written even with the frozen veggies. Hope you love it!
I want to know in step 3 for IP why we need the blender. I’m a little lost there. Thanks!
Hey Maria, this is a blended soup, blending it is what makes it creamy and delicious! 🙂
Just bought an instant pot – could this recipe be done in the pot??
Hey Beth! I’m sure this could be done in the IP, but I haven’t tested it yet. Definitely working on that soon!
Love this recipe! (All of your recipes, really – I’ve yet to try one that hasn’t become an instant favourite). Wondering if you think this would double alright? This generally doesn’t last more than a day or two in my house and I’d love to have some extra to be freeze.
Thanks so much, Erika! Yes, this would double just fine and it freezes well too! Double away, my friend!
Can you add all the broccoli at once and purée it? My family is not too fussy about chunky soups.
Absolutely, Denise!
The recipe says cook until the vegetables are soft… how long does that usually take? I want to do this in a crockpot and would like to know how long to leave it.
Thanks
Hey Kym! I haven’t made this one in a while and I’ve never timed it, but if I had to guess I’d say maybe a half hour or so? It really depends on the size of your veggies as well. Hope you love it!
My family loved this! Healthy eating never tasted so good! Thank you for your wonderful recipes . . . we are devouring them! 🙂
Yay!! So happy to hear this, Sarah! You seriously made my day 🙂
Do you think I can leave the cheese out at the end? my son has a dairy allergy so would like to try without.
Hi Abigail – yes! I’ve actually made it without the cheese before and loved it!
Making this tonight!
I do wonder though, what was grandmas amazing recipe? 😉
I hope you love it, Leah! And girrrl… it was FULL of heavy cream! Ha!
I just found this recipe last week. This soup is sooo good! I made it last week and had leftovers for lunch all week and it was delicious! I’ve got another batch going for dinner tonight. I added some chicken sautéed in olive oil and garlic. I’m trying it in the crockpot now. 🙂 Thanks for the healthy take on my favorite soup!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it, Heidi! Great idea to add some chicken 🙂 I’d love to hear how it goes in the crockpot!
Made this tonight with all broccoli and it was awesome! Great recipe and so simple to prepare! 🙂
Hey Kris, somehow I missed this comment when you first posted it, sorry about that! I’m so glad you liked it and it’s good to know it turned out well with just the broccoli ?
Hi, Stephanie! This soup sounds so good! I’ve been searching the web for a broccoli cheese soup that doesn’t require any milk because I’m fresh out! Lol. I’m planning on making this for dinner tonight, but I also don’t have any cauliflower on hand. Would it work out okay if I used all broccoli? Thanks!
Hi Kris! I’m sure it would still be really good, just using broccoli, but you’re going to get a bit of a different texture. It’s the cauliflower that makes it creamy even though there’s no dairy. Just an fyi so you know what to expect, I would still make it 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂
Is it 1/4 Cup for red or 1/2?
Hi Sarah! It’s 1/4 of a Red per serving. 🙂
Thank you o much for this recipe. I love it! I did add a little more chicken broth.
I’m so glad, Laura!
Thank you so much for this recipe! it is absolutely delicious! I made it for my Live Cooking Show.
Thanks, Spencer! That’s awesome, I’ll have to check it out!
Tried this tonight and was pleasantly surprised! Very good healthy recipe!
So glad you liked it, Jessica!
Stephanie, I have made this soup twice and it is so delicious! It feels so good to have something that is packed with veggies and is warm as the weather gets nippy. I’ve eaten it as is, added grilled chicken and even kielbasa. Than you for sharing it.
Those additions sound fantastic, Joy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It’s really cold in Alaska today and seeing your comment really makes me want to make some right now!
Making this for dinner tonight. Honestly never made a soup before. How long does the prep take?
Wow! Well I’m honored that this recipe is your first! The actual prep work (chopping the veggies) probably takes 10 minutes max. The entire recipe probably takes 45 minutes or so, it’s been awhile since I made this one and I can’t remember exactly (it sounds so good right now too!) Most of that time is just letting the broccoli and cauliflower get soft in the pot, so it’s super easy! I hope you love it as much as I do, Alli!
Hey Stephanie! 🙂
Would the container equivalents change if you were to use veggie broth instead of the chicken broth?
Hi Leslie! Yes, you wouldn’t count any red if you used veggie broth. 🙂
I just tried this soup tonight and I loved it! I just added veggie broth instead since I am a vegetarian. It was amazing! I added a little extra broth like you suggested since I like a little bit thinner soups. I was skeptical when it was cooking, but it turned out awesome!
So glad to hear that, Logan!
Very flavorful! I didn’t change any thing. I was a little concerned when I saw the recipe, as I’ve made a similar soup and it had no flavor. I was so excited when I made it too. 🙁
But, this met my expectations!
I’m not sure if anyone has suggested this, but invest in a hand blender. They are relatively inexpensive and come in handy for soups such as this as well as smoothies and shakes!
A friend of mine was flabbergasted to hear that I did not have one and then she told me all of the benefits. With soups like this where you have to transfer to a blender, it sure makes the process much easier!
Mine wasn’t as smooth, but it’s probably because I didn’t cook the veggies long enough. I was getting impatient! 😀 But, I like chunky soups.
Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it, Lyndy! Yes, you’re absolutely right about the hand blender! I didn’t think to mention it because I don’t have one (and I have a super tiny kitchen, so I try to keep gadgets to a minimum) but they really are great and absolutely perfect for something like this. 🙂
Can this soup be frozen?
Hey Janet! I’ve never frozen it myself, but all of the ingredients are freezer-friendly so I think it would freeze nicely 🙂
How much should I eat as one serving for the 21 day fix? Seems it makes a lot of soup.
The serving size is 1 1/2 cups 🙂
How would this work in a crockpot (for food day at work)? Should I make it the night before and just have it on low all morning after I get to work? Could it ‘cook’ on high in the morning instead of making it the night before?
Hi Courteney! You could definitely make it the night before and then put it in the crockpot the day of. I’ve never actually made it in the crockpot, so I couldn’t say for sure how it would work out, but, if you were going to try that, you would need to have a blender handy 🙂
This soup is fantastic!!!! It tastes like there is a ton of cream/cheese/whatever, but there’s not. ☺I did add a few dashes after hot sauce because I like a little kick. Oh, and be aware this is a BROCCOLI soup with cheese, not a cheese soup with broccoli, so it’s pretty green instead of yellow. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I’m thrilled you liked it, Tessa!
Just made this and it’s absolutely amazing!!! And I dislike cauliflower but I had no clue it could do this! Thank you for this awesome recipe, already pinned and shared with the fam!!
Yay! So glad you liked it, Jessica! Just want to say that you’re super-awesome for trying this even though you don’t like cauliflower 😉 Gotta love a stealthy vegetable! Thanks for pinning and sharing!
I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was SO good…I am currently eating another cup for lunch right now! I still can’t believe there is no milk or cream in this recipe. I am officially obsessed! Question for you – I used veggie broth instead of chicken broth since I had it in the house. Should I not count the 1/4 red for my serving? Thanks 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad you love it! You’re right, if you used veggie broth, don’t count the red. I would call it a freebie 🙂
this sounds amazing! I just made your 21 day fix mac and cheese the other day with the cauliflower puree and it was great! Mac and Cheese is my favorite food but it never seems to be good the next day, the cheese gets dried up, BUT your recipe kept its creaminess for quite a few days! I loved it and will definitely be making it again! Cannot wait to try this soup! I’m adding the ingredients to my grocery list now! 🙂
Aww, yay! Makes me so happy to hear that! Glad you liked it Chelsea, definitely a family favorite over here, just like this soup!!
Hey there! First off, thank you so much for this recipe. It’s on the stove right now and my mouth is watering at just the smell lol. I’m new to the fix though, and so I was just wondering if your container measurements are per serving or for the whole thing? I’m assuming serving, but I wanted to double check!
Hi Chelsea! I hope you love this recipe, it’s one of my absolute favorites! Yes, all of my container counts are per serving (I actually just started writing that on my more recent recipes when I realized that it could be confusing, sorry)!
I’m trying to figure out where the red container is coming from.
Hi Nikki! According to Autumn, 2 cups of chicken broth counts as 1/2 red. 🙂
Where did you get this information? I’m just curious because I can’t find that anywhere, even with the updated options for red container
Hey Katie! Actually Autumn posted it on Facebook awhile back. I’ve heard that she said it in a video somewhere too, but I’m not sure where. Here’s my “Questions Answered” page where you can see the post that she made. It definitely pays to follow her, she often answers questions on social media that might not be laid out in the book. 🙂 https://thefoodieandthefix.com/tips-and-tricks/questions-answered/
This looks fantastic! Have to add this to my meal rotation! Can you use frozen broccoli for some of this or even all of it? I have a TON of frozen bags that need to be used up before they start going bad
Thanks, Ashley! I haven’t used frozen broccoli in this particular recipe, but I’m sure it would work just fine. I say use it up!
Ok so i FINALLY was able to make this and it’s incredible!! I used all frozen veggies minus the carrots and it turned out great! I like my soup a little more watered down and thinner so using all frozen veggies helped. I can’t believe how much it tastes like there is dairy in it and there isn’t – this is moving to the top of my list for soups!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it, Ashley! Isn’t that crazy how it tastes like there is dairy in there? I’m telling you, cauliflower = magic 😉
I have used frozen broccoli and frozen cauliflower and it works beautifully! 🙂