Come home to a warming bowlful of this filling, Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup. This soup is a thick and comforting vegetable soup that’s as good for a meal as it is for a dinner party appetizer.
If like me, you’re on a low carb diet, then you have to try this amazing soup!
I’m on the Atkins diet and have had a lot of trouble finding meals that I want to eat more than once, but this is a recipe that I make once a week. It’s satisfying and simple to make.
Homemade soup keeps well in the fridge and is also easy to freeze. Best of all, this thick soup won’t leave you hungry. It’s a beautiful, filling soup that will make you forget you’re on a diet!
Why this recipe works:
- While this recipe is suitable for most low carb diet plans, including Keto and Atkins, you don’t have to be cutting carbs to enjoy this delicious soup.
- This low carb recipe uses the broccoli and cheese to thicken it instead of high carb thickening agents.
The Benefits of Eating Broccoli
We all know Broccoli is healthy. I bet you didn’t know just how healthy though…
Broccoli is a good source of vitamins B6, E B1, and A. It’s also a good source of not only fiber but phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, iron, and niacin. And that’s just to name a few!
Needless to say, I try to eat a lot of broccoli.
How to Choose The Best Broccoli
- Choose bright green broccoli with strong, firm stalks.
- Avoid the woody Stems. They will become hard and chewy when cooked.
- Avoid yellowing florets. Yellow florets are a sign that the broccoli is gone past the stage of a desirable texture.
- Choose tight clusters in the florets of broccoli. The more space or gaps in the florets, the older it is.
Other Broccoli Recipes You’ll Love
This Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is really, really tasty and perfect for cooler weather.
The last couple of weeks have been a lot cooler and I love the first signs of autumn weather. It’s been awesome and so nice enjoying some fresh fall air!
It’s almost time to be in cozy, warm clothes, light the fireplace, and snuggle up in blankets with a comforting bowl of soup! One of my favorite parts of fall is making soup and this is my new favorite!
How to Make Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup:
In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. 
Add celery and onion and cook in the butter until softened.
Add the garlic powder and paprika.
Add the broccoli.
Pour over the stock.
Cover and simmer until broccoli is tender (10 to 15 minutes).
If you want your soup chunky, remove about a cup of broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside. To make the soup extra thick, before adding the cheese I ladle out stock until it just covers the broccoli.
Reduce heat, and add the cheese.
Allow cheese to melt into the soup.
Using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
Stir in the broccoli that was removed earlier. Serve and enjoy.
Other Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Cook’s Tips:
- This soup is perfect for broccoli that isn’t at its freshest and has started to yellow a bit. No point in wasting perfectly good food!
- To avoid clumping while adding the cheese, use store-bought, pre-grated cheese. Add it gradually and make sure the temperature isn’t too hot. The heat should be fairly low when adding the cheese. If it’s too hot, the cheese can seize up and clump.
- If shredding your own cheese (instead of buying store-bought pre-shredded cheese), try coating the cheese with a little arrowroot powder to keep it from clumping.
- Don’t own a stick hand blender? No problem. You can use a food processor or blender to puree the soup.
- For an added wow factor and a bit of crunchy texture, try sprinkling crispy bacon over the soup before serving.
Recipe Variations:
- Use cauliflower instead of broccoli, it tastes just as good!
- Add ham to this soup for an even more filling meal.
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Let's Make Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1½ pounds broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cups canned chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook celery and onion in butter until softened.
- Stir in broccoli, and cover with stock. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- If you want your soup chunky, remove about a cup of broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reduce heat, and stir in the garlic powder and paprika. Add the shredded cheddar cheese gradually, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until melted.
- Using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
- Stir in the broccoli that was removed earlier and serve. Salt and pepper to taste
Tips + Notes
- This soup is perfect for broccoli that isn't at its freshest and has started to yellow a bit. No point in wasting perfectly good food!
- To avoid clumping while adding the cheese, use store-bought, pre-shredded cheese. Add it gradually and make sure the temperature isn't too hot. The heat should be fairly low when adding the cheese. If it’s too hot, the cheese can seize up and clump.
- If shredding your own cheese (instead of buying store bought pre-shredded cheese), try coating the cheese with a little arrowroot powder to keep it from clumping.
- Don't own a stick hand blender? No problem. You can use a food processor or blender to puree the soup.
- For an added wow factor and a bit of crunchy texture, try sprinkling crispy bacon over the soup before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October of 2016, but was updated with step by step instructions, new photos, tips, and FAQs July of 2018.
Diane Frazine says
Wonderful recipe!! I did use Velveeta Sharp cheese because that is what I had in the house. Really thick and tasty! Way better than another recipe I had been using, and I thought that was pretty great!
Cheryl Dunkin says
Made a casual version of this, added a 1/8 bar of cream cheese and some xanthan gum, also shredded chicken, very good!
Erren says
So glad you found a way to make it your own and enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the feedback!
Amber says
Just made this and the flavor is amazing but the cheese is super stringy. Sticks to the spoon and makes me feel like I’m going to choke. Lol. I have no idea what I did wrong. I bought the shredded sharp cheddar. Maybe that was the problem. 😕
Jane M. Groft says
I just got your reply Erren so ignore the one I just sent asking about the creams again. Thank you for getting back to me. I’m going to try your recipe. Thank you again!
Erren says
Your welcome, Jane! 🙂
Jane M. Groft says
Hi, I wrote a couple of times asking about adding heavy cream or half/half to the low carb broccoli soup. When I looked at your recipe it doesn’t say anything about any creams, how does it get creamy without it? I really want to make this but I need to know what kind of cream goes in it and how much. Thank you.
Erren says
Hi Jane, I emailed you earlier. The soup gets creamy by mixing the cheese into the stock. There is no cream in this recipe. It’s all in the post and instructions.
Jane M. Groft says
In the written recipe it doesn’t say anything about half/half & heavy cream but shows it in the video. How much of each do you use? Thank you.
Erren says
Hi Jane, what video?
Nancy S Craddock says
I Made The Low Carb Broccoli And Cheese Soup And Carried It To Church. It Was A Big Hit. Everyone Liked It. They Wanted The Recipe. Delicious…
Patricia says
This broccoli chesse was easy to make and delicious!😮
Erren says
So happy you enjoyed it, Patricia!
Lindsey Yoder says
What if I don’t have a stick blender?
Erren says
A blender or food processor would work fine.
Leslie says
I just made this and it was EXCELLENT!!
Erren says
I’m so glad, Leslie! Thank you for letting me know! 😀