Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
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This Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup is the perfect marriage of two delicious cruciferous vegetables!
There is almost nothing better than a warm bowl of soup. It instantly feels like a hug in a bowl, especially during chilly evenings. This recipe is smooth, rich, and made with nourishing vegetables but is also packed with flavor from the cheddar cheese and crispy bacon topping.
With soup season in full swing, I am currently loving all the cozy soup recipes for dinner. Some of my personal favorites (and reader favorites) are: Panera’s Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, Instant Pot Lasagna Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and for something hearty my Dutch Oven Beef Stew is a must-make!
If you are looking for a vegan soup made in one pot…this Butternut Squash soup will satisfy all of your cravings.
If you’re in the mood for something nutritious and cozy, you’ve found the right soup! My hubby requests this one often during peak soup season. He is currently in his sourdough bread making journey era and we can easily polish off half a loaf of bread with this soup, it’s just the perfect dunking soup! Take it a step further and enjoy it with a grilled cheese!
This soup is:
- Creamy, cozy, and veggie packed!
- Easy to make in just one pot (I’ll do dishes tonight!)
- Oh-So-Flavorful!
- Vegetarian/Vegan friendly
- Perfect for an appetizer or can be made into a meal by adding in ham or serving with grilled cheese sandwiches!
Ingredients Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Onions: Onions serve a great purpose in soups, which is why you may notice it in most soup recipes! Onions provide nice caramel flavors from sautéing them, as well as umami.
- Garlic: Did you know the more you cut or slice the garlic, the more flavor it will give your soup? If you do not prefer the garlic flavor, toss the whole garlic clove into the soup, and you will hardly know there’s any garlic in the soup. For a stronger garlic flavor, cut the garlic clove into 8 slices so more allicin can be formed.
- Carrots: I love the flavor carrots add to soup and, they provide an excellent source of Vitamin A and fiber.
- Cauliflower: Most cauliflower soups lack flavor, but this broccoli and cauliflower soup packs a flavorful punch. Cauliflower is a good source of fiber, Vitamin C and K.
- Broccoli: The broccoli compliments the cheddar in this recipe perfectly and is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, which are great for your immune system during the colder months.
- Other ingredients needed in this recipe: butter, chicken broth (or vegetable broth), flour, cheddar cheese, heavy whipping cream, red pepper chili flakes (optional), dried basil, salt and pepper.
How to make Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Cook the veg!
Literally add it all in, and saute for ~10 minutes until softened.
Add seasonings and broth
Let’s add some flavor with dried basil, some red pepper chili flakes if you like some heat, salt and pepper of course, and chicken bone broth or chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then down to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend it up!
Use an immersion blender or a high powered blender like a Vitamix to blend the soup until smooth. Add in the cheddar and heavy cream and stir until the cheese has melted.
Add toppings and dive in
Crispy bacon, fresh herbs, more cheese obviously, and a big slice of toasted bread…hello cozy!
Kitchen appliances needed for broccoli and cauliflower soup:
- A large stock pot or Dutch oven to cook the soup in.
- An immersion blender to make the soup creamy and smooth is preferred but a blender will work well too.
- Chef’s knife for dicing and chopping veggies and a cutting board!
Can I make Broccoli and Cauliflower soup vegan?
Yes! Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth; use vegan cheese and coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
- 2 heads broccoli, chopped into small pieces
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 3 Tbsp. flour*
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. red pepper chili flakes (optional)
- 6 cups chicken bone broth/chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Garnish: bacon, cheddar cheese, toasted bread
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter, onion, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and salt and pepper. Stir occasionally for ~7-10 minutes or until vegetables are vibrant, fragrant and somewhat softened.1/2 yellow onion, diced, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces, 2 heads broccoli, chopped into small pieces, 1 large carrot, diced, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper
- Add in the flour, basil, and red pepper chili flakes if using. Stir for ~1 minute to coat the veggies.3 Tbsp. flour*, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. red pepper chili flakes (optional)
- Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.6 cups chicken bone broth/chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- Cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. Alternately, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender and blend. Once blended, add in heavy cream and cheese. Stir until combined.2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Serve warm and garnish with cheese and bacon if desired. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 day.Garnish: bacon, cheddar cheese, toasted bread
Video
Notes
- Kitchen appliances to make the soup creamy: Use an immersion blender or blender. An immersion blender is my tool of choice!
- You can use frozen broccoli & cauliflower if you don’t have fresh on hand!
- Flour* To make gluten-free: use gluten-free flour
- This makes enough for eight people for dinner. If serving smaller portions for appetizers, it will, of course, feed more.
- We usually enjoy this for dinner with grilled cheese! So good and comforting.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe was published originally November 2019, and updated with new photos Jan. 2025. 📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
Excellent soup, I just made this soup and it will be one of my regulars. The only change I would make next time is to omit the red pepper chili’s or at least only use 1/2 the amount.
Thank you so much Susan! 🙂
This soup is so good and a great way to get some veggies when your doctor says to eat very soft food for 2 weeks. This will be my lunch for as long as it lasts. Thanks for a great recipe!
SO glad you enjoyed it – thank you Beckey!
So much goodness in this recipe! I made this and I made a simple loaf of artisan bread! I didn’t even need to add cheddar with all the delicious flavors! I will definitely top it with cheddar when served! Thanks again for another recipe of perfection!
Thank you so much Lisa!! Looks fantastic!
I can’t wait to make this tonight! I was wondering if I could add white beans to it for more protein? Or if there are other protein suggestions? Thanks!!
Thank you! 🙂 White beans is a great idea and would add a lovely texture too! Using the bone broth help with more protein, or you could even add cottage cheese and blend that into the soup! Ham is also a great addition.
Thanks so much!! Super helpful
alway here to help! thank you 🙂
Great blog. Listing the instructions and then adding the measurements right underneath saves me so much time and frustration! I keep wondering why I’ve never seen this format before, like wow why didn’t I think of that? Amazing!
Oh and the soup is delish too, haha <3
Thank you for sharing!
I love this soup. It is easy to make and tastes great. My photo is not as pretty but wanted to share
I always love seeing the photos, thank you soo much!
Great soup. I added celery and used 2% milk in lieu of cream and more shredded cheese
love that! thank you so much 🙂
My mom makes this for me each and every time I am ill. Now I CRAVE it, so today I made it – it is so easy and full of flavor. I roasted the veggies in the oven with lemon flavored olive oil before I added the veggies to the crock pot, the house now smells delicious.
Thanks for the recipe. I will certainly be making this over and over.
I made this soup for myself this afternoon and it was delicious! My husband is more of a “meat and potatoes ” man, so, more for me.😉
Was 90° here in New Port Richey, Florida in a cool house and I love soup all year.
I did not use my Immersion blender because I like chunky soup sometimes.
I made this soup this afternoon for myself and it was delicious! My husband is more of a “meat & potatoes” man, so, more for me ! 😉
Was 90° here in New Port Richey, Florida today in a cool house and I love soup all year long. I did not use my Immersion tool because I like chunky soup sometimes.