This vegetarian broccoli-cauliflower soup is full of cheddar cheese goodness! A smooth, blended dinner soup, it’s extra easy to make at home, and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Talk about quick comfort food!
Nothing beats a hearty bowl of soup, and this broccoli and cauliflower soup is definitely a favorite in my house. I added cauliflower for extra creaminess and nutrition, and the base of carrots, celery and onion really layer on the flavor.
This vegetarian soup recipe is so comforting because I serve it with a big slice of toast slathered in butter. These two just go together so well! Soup can also be made a bit ahead of company coming and left to simmer gently so it is ready when you are (making it the easiest vegetarian dinner idea…ever?). It always makes a lot and leftovers heat up so well, that I love making a big pot on the weekend to last me a few days.
P.S. looking for more comfort to add to your vegetarian dinner soup ideas lineup? Try:
- Nutritious mung bean soup for something new
- Nourishing avocado soup for something refreshing
- Slow cooker cauliflower soup for something easy
Ingredients for Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
The ingredient list might look a little long, but it’s all straightforward ingredients to make a big ‘ol batch of creamy broccoli soup.
- Broccoli: The star ingredient! Broccoli is nutrient-packed and affordable, making it the perfect soup filler.
- Cauliflower: Broccoli and cauliflower are the perfect pair, and low calorie cauliflower adds creaminess when blended.
- Flavor Veggies: Mirepoix is a fancy French word for flavorful veggie base. Today, our mirepoix is diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic!
- Butter & Flour: These work together to thicken the soup. It’s basically a roux even though you won’t see that classic roux paste coming together.
- Veggie Broth: All soup needs liquid, and vegetable broth adds so much flavor.
- Shredded Cheese: What’s cheese soup without….cheese? Sharp cheddar is a great addition.
- Dijon Mustard: It may sound weird, but mustard just adds that little something to any sort of cheesy dish.
Say Cheese!
Shred your own cheese for the creamiest soup. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated to keep it from clumping in the bag, and this often hinders melting. You need just one cup which can be shredded lickety-split.
How to make Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Once you know how to make this soup, you will be prepared to make any sort of vegetarian soup you’d like! The steps for this 30-minute soup recipe are the same as far as how to turn fresh produce into a soup (creamy or not) so follow along with these easy steps!
Step 1: Flavor Base
This is how we set the stage for a really flavorful soup. Small chopped veggies are sauteed in a bit of fat (butter and/or olive oil) until they begin to soften and release their flavors.
Step 2: Soupify
Next up, flour. Stir in the flour to coat these veggies first. The flour + fat from step one is what will thicken your soup.
Then add the broccoli and cauliflower and cover with broth. Simmer until broccoli and cauliflower are tender.
Step 3: Blend
Use a slotted spoon to scoop out about half the veggies. These will make the soup visually interesting! The rest of the pot is what will be pureed. You can use an immersion blender or full size blender. After blending, put everything, puree and solids, back in the pot.
Step 4: Finish
Finally, let’s wrap it up by stirring in cheese and a taste of Dijon mustard. This is also where you can check for seasoning. You may find it needs some salt here, depending on how salty your broth is.
Recipe tips
Size Matters: Chop your broccoli and cauliflower to fit on a spoon. While some of the soup gets blended, the rest will remain whole so you don’t want them to be too large.
Finely Milled: Gluten-free? Use your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in the roux and you’ll still have great results.
Other Allergens: Dairy-free or vegan? Feel free to use coconut oil and dairy-free shredded cheese in this recipe.
Comfort in a Bowl
Nothing beats a steaming bowl of soup, but the side dishes can really bring the meal together.
- Vegan Garlic Bread can up the ante from just plain toast.
- Make Your Own Croutons to top the soup and add texture.
- Vegetarian Wedge Salad is the perfect cool beginning before warming up with soup.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 28 g
- 1 cup diced yellow onion about 1 onion
- 1 cup diced carrots 140 g
- 1 cup diced celery 140 g
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 30 g
- 6 cups vegetable broth 1.4 L
- 4 cups bite-sized broccoli florets about ½ head
- 4 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets about ½ head
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 114 g
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Set a large pot over medium heat. Add butter, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Soupify: Stir in flour to evenly coat the veggies. Stir in broth, broccoli, and cauliflower. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and let cook until broccoli is fork-tender.
- Blend: Scoop about half of the fillings from the pot. Blend the half that remains until smooth (using either a handheld immersion blender, or by carefully transferring to a countertop blender*). Stir reserved solids back into soup.
- Finish: Stir in cheese and mustard. Taste and add salt as needed. Serve hot, topped with shredded cheese, crusty bread, and/or a dollop of sour cream.
Nicki Velasco says
Sarah, you are such a cool chick, I’m so glad I found you! This soup is delicious!! And easy to make, thank you!! I added a few different kinds of cheese that I had on hand and it was amazing!!
Sarah Bond says
Aw, I’m so happy to hear it! Enjoy! 😀
Jane Docken says
I have vegan cheddar cheese to make this recipe vegan, however, it is an expensive replacement. Is there a substitute such as Nutritional yeast and if so, what proportions? Thanks.
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t tried using nutritional yeast here so it’s hard for me to say for sure! I would try 1/4 to 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, then top each bowl liberally with vegan cheese 🙂 I’d love to hear how this goes!
Dale says
Can this califlower broccoli cheese soup be frozen?
Gonna make and freeze a little to see because want to make now. Thanks
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t tried freezing this one so I can’t be sure, but I would think so!
Evi Reznick says
I’m gluten intolerant. Instead of flour, I used to use rice flour which I ground up in my coffee mill. But lately I’ve been using polenta instead. Not corn flour which is basically corn starch but the grainier polenta.
Sarah Bond says
I’m so happy to hear that worked well for you Evi! Thanks for popping in to let us know how it went 😀