This Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup has all the rich, creamy flavors of your favorite comfort food with just a fraction of the fat and calories!
If there is one thing I love to eat the most in the chilly fall and winter months, it’s a bowl of delicious, steamy soup. I love making a huge batch of soup for dinner, then lunching on leftovers during the week. It’s the perfect warm lunch for my crazy busy mom life. I made this lighter, healthier version and it’s now one of my favorite fall soups! I know you’ll love it.
What Makes this Broccoli Cheese Soup Healthy?
If you like serving your family fresh and healthy options, you may shy away from broccoli cheese soup because of the amount of fat in it. But this recipe cuts down tons of fat, while leaving in all the flavor and yummy veggies!
- Instead of using heavy cream, use super healthy Greek yogurt. As someone who isn’t a huge fan of Greek yogurt, I worried it would give the soup a tangy flavor but it doesn’t at all! It just gives the soup a nice, creamy thickness without all the fat.
- Then, save even more fat and calories by using 2% milk instead of cream or whole milk.
- This recipe also uses an entire head of broccoli, onion and carrot. Lots of yummy veggies blended into this creamy soup really packs in the vitamins. You can feel absolutely terrific about feeding this soup to your family.
Other Ingredients Needed
This lighter version of your favorite broccoli cheese soup is so simple to make, and uses easy to find ingredients. In addition to the Greek yogurt, milk and the veggies listed above, here’s all you need for this recipe:
- Butter
- Flour
- Chicken Stock
- Shredded Cheese (I used a cup of sharp cheddar and a cup of Colby Jack but you can use any kind of cheese you like)
The butter, flour and chicken stock work to create a roux which helps gives the soup a thick and creamy texture.
Pre-Shredded or Block Cheese
There is a time and a place for bags of pre-shredded cheese, but when it comes to soup and other recipes, take the time to shred your own block cheese! It melts down so much better and creates a creamier, richer soup.
How to Make healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup
This soup comes together in no time, blends up beautifully, and tastes absolutely incredible! You’ll love how all the flavors melt together. Here’s how to do it:
- First, dice up your onion and allow it to sauté in some butter in a large pot on the stove.
- Mix together the Greek yogurt and milk in a separate bowl.
- Whisk flour into the onion and butter mixture and then slowly add the yogurt and milk, whisking until it’s all combined.
- Slowly add chicken stock to the pot and whisk until it’s completely smooth and boil until thickened.
- Next, add your yummy broccoli and carrots and cook them until they’re tender.
- Then, move the soup in batches and blend OR use an immersion blender to break up the large pieces of broccoli.
- Finally, add your cheese, a cup at a time, until it’s melted. YUM!
More Healthy Soup Recipes
Soups are such terrific dinners because they’re hearty, filling and can feed a crowd. And you don’t have to feel guilty about serving these to your family because they’re chock full of veggies and vitamins. Try some of these savory soup recipes:
- Healthy Turkey Chili
- Garden Fresh Gazpacho
- Vegetarian Chili
- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
I hope you love this Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup! It tastes just as delicious as my regular Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe with fewer calories and less fat. And by blending the veggies together, your kids will never know there’s healthy ingredients in there. It tastes so creamy and delicious. Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on this or any other recipe. Enjoy!
Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups broccoli florets one bunch should do it
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 2 cups shredded cheese I used 1 cup sharp cheddar and 1 cup colby jack
Instructions
- Melt your butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions, and let cook until translucent.
- While the onions are cooking, put the greek yogurt into a two cup glass measuring cup, making sure that it completely fills the bottom (like no air bubbles). Fill it up to the two cup measure with your milk. Pour the combo into a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Once the onions are cooked, gradually add the flour, whisking in a little at a time until it fully combines with the butter. Let it cook for about three minutes, it will deepen in color.
- Gradually pour in the milk and yogurt mixture a very little at the time, whisking it into the flour and butter mixture. As you go, you want it to look like the smoothest mashed potatoes ever. If it is getting clumpy and weird, you are pouring in the liquid too fast. Once it is all added, and things are nice and smooth, gradually whisk in the chicken stock.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce the heat to very low and let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, allowing it to thicken. Note: If you have it set too hot, it will scorch the bottom of the pan, and make the base too thick. Make sure it is just bubbling.
- Add the broccoli and shredded carrots, allow it to come to a simmer again and then put the heat back to low. Allow it to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, cooking the carrots and broccoli.
- Once the veggies are tender, move the soup in batches and blend OR use an immersion blender to break up the large pieces of broccoli.
- Stir in your cheese one cup at a time, remove from the heat, and enjoy!
Heather @ French Press says
I LOVE soup weather – and I am loving that you lightened up one of my favorites! it looks delicious
Summer Davis says
OH my gosh, Lisa! That soup looks absolutely AMAZING! Can you send some to me, please? I guess I could just as easily make it myself. You did a GREAT job! WOW! #client
Alicia says
I love Broccoli Cheese soup and this is such a great way to lighten such a heavy dish. #client
Thanks Alicia! I was so happy with how it turned out and how well the yogurt worked with the other flavors.
Kate says
Thanks for this recipe! Could I substitute plain coconut milk for the Greek yogurt as I can’t have Greek yogurt?
Thanks.
Kate says
Plain Coconut yogurt for Greek yogurt?
I’m assuming that would work consistency wise, Kate, but I don’t know how it would be taste wise.