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.
Carla Ann says
Flavor is good. Cheese still clumped despite using arrowroot to coat and keeping temperature low – maybe needed to be even lower? It clumped as it cooled, not sure how it will reheat…. I used my own shredded extra sharp tillamook cheese.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Carla Ann,
sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Tosha Jones says
Can use my kitchen aid to blend it? If so what attachment? I dont own a stick blender.
Erren says
Hi Tosha, I’m not sure what attachment you’re talking about, but a blender or food processor will work fine.
Janice says
Absolutely loved this recipe!! Thank you!
Erren says
That’s so great to hear, Janice!
Rhonda Bovine says
OMG! I just made this soup sans the celery (only because I didn’t have any) and with added minced garlic instead of garlic salt, and it was sooo rich, so creamy, so delish! I will be making this one again. I topped with bacon crumbles instead of cheese and served it immediately. Nothing like healthy broccoli and rich comfort food in the same bowl. Low carb is so easy and so satisfying. Thanks for a great recipe. I’ll be back for more!
Erren says
I’m so happy to hear you liked it so much! Thanks so much for letting me know! 😊
marina says
My husband thinks this tastes just like Panera Bread’s broccoli/cheese soup, and he really enjoyed it. He is type-1 diabetic so this low-carb recipe is perfect for him. Personally, I can’t eat super-rich food so if I had to do it again, I’d cook the broccoli separately and then add it to a reduced stock/cheese.
Lesa Hitle says
While most of the emphasis in Atkins is on the diet, nutritional supplements and exercise are considered equally important elements. The Atkins Diet represents a radical departure from prevailing theories. Atkins claimed there are two main unrecognized factors about Western eating habits, arguing firstly that the main cause of obesity is eating refined carbohydrates, particularly sugar, flour, and high-fructose corn syrups; and secondly, that saturated fat is overrated as a nutritional problem, and that only trans fats from sources such as hydrogenated oils need to be avoided.
Boyd Kobe says
I will definitely try this! Sounds so easy!
5150 says
Great recipe,
My only complaint is, no one ever states serving size!
Melissa says
Excellent. Talk about some serious comfort food. I had never put onion and/or celery in my broccoli and cheese soup before, and I have to say, it was amazing and filling.
Erren says
Hi, Melissa. I’m glad to introduce something new! So happy you enjoyed it!
Claire says
I’m excited to try this, it’s my favorite kind of soup! I live alone, though – does anyone know if this saves well in the fridge or does it turn into casserole?