This Broccoli Cheddar and Potato Soup is an excellent example of the concept of healthier comfort food. Let’s be honest, it’s mostly just a big bowl of veggies—with a little cheese and milk for richness and flavor. Eating a bowl of this soup is pretty much exactly like eating a salad. Okay, so maybe not exactly like it, but darn close.
The key to making sure this soup is super (souper!) creamy and delicious—an immersion blender (AKA: a stick blender). Instead of loading this soup up with heavy cream or tons of butter, the thick and creamy texture comes from pureeing the majority of the veggies into a velvety-smooth soup.
You can definitely use a regular blender and just transfer batches back and forth between the blender and the stove. But honestly? The $25 you spend on an immersion blender will more than pay for itself in hassle and labor costs in its lifetime. If you don’t own one, you definitely should. I have this Cuisinart one, and it’s great—although they tend to burnt out after 2-3 years of use.
Honestly, I think this soup is a meal all on it’s own, but if you want to round out dinner, add some crusty bread, like this easy, yeast-free soda bread, and a fresh garden salad. Boom. Comfort food done healthy. Enjoy!
Broccoli Cheddar and Potato Soup
This Broccoli, Cheddar, and Potato Soup is warm, comforting and full of good-for-you veggies your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk (whole dairy milk or full fat coconut milk at good options)
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 petite Yukon Gold potatoes), peeled and diced
- 4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and cook until just tender and fragrant, about five minutes.
- Sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook for two minutes to thicken any remaining liquid.
- Add the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, cover and cook until broccoli is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Blend soup with an immersion blender (or use a regular stand blender by carefully transferring the hot soup) until smooth.
- Turn off heat, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
To make this recipe vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
To make this recipe gluten-free: Use arrowroot powder or tapioca starch instead of flour.
To make this recipe dairy-free: Use coconut oil, almond milk and non-dairy cheese instead of butter, milk and cheddar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 507Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 641mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 31g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
