Make It Thick & Cheesy
Do you like your broccoli soup super smooth or with chunks of broccoli? You actually have 3 options here to finish it off:
- Pieces Leave all the broccoli florets whole in your broccoli cheese soup. To do this, add the shredded cheddar cheese gradually, stirring constantly, and continue to stir until melted. This will help thicken the broccoli and cheese soup.
- Pureed Pureeing is an excellent way to get a thicker soup, if thats what you like, because the broccoli thickens it. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender.
- Combination Puree the soup, but reserve 1/3 as florets. Its the best of both worlds! To do this, remove about 1/3 of the florets using a slotted spoon, blend using an immersion blender, then return the florets to the pot.
Tips For Making The Best Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
Making soup is always easy and forgiving, especially this one. but heres a few Tips for making it easier:
Best Keto Soup Thickeners
But how to thicken a soup?
I get this question a LOT. How can you thicken a soup without using non-keto ingredients like flour, cornstarch, etc.?
Ive talked about this before in other recipe blog posts, but there are many options. Check out my post on Keto Pork Chops for more detail on keto sauces thickeners.
Some of the thickeners I use most are cream cheese, eggs, gelatin, xanthan gum, and almond flour. In this keto broccoli cheese soup recipe, Im using a combination of several as well as a new thickener to add to the fold.
Cauliflower.
Yes, our inspiration soup from the dinner theater had cauliflower in it. I thought, why not? Could it be used as a thickener as well?
Indeed, it can! In fact, I have to say it turns out pretty tasty too.
Recommended Reading: What Is Kraft Cheese Made Of
How To Make The Best Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe:
How To Blanch Broccoli
Fill a large pot with water and bring the water to a boil and then add the fresh broccoli. Cook the broccoli in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes until it turns bright green. Then using a strainer strain the water from the broccoli. You will know the broccoli is cooked when it has turned bright green and is tender enough to pierce with a fork but still firm.
Recommended Reading: How Much Salt Is In Mozzarella Cheese
How To Make This Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup In An Instant Pot Or Slow Cooker/crock Pot
If you want to make this soup ahead of time and keep warm, an instant pot or slow cooker are both great options! Follow these instructions below if you want to make this soup this way.
Instant Pot Method
Slow Cooker Method
Can You Freeze This Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
Yes, yes and YES! You can freeze this Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup with Chicken Recipe. This recipe yields 4 generous savings. You can always place your leftover soup in a freezer safe container and it will keep in the freezer for about a month.
For longer storage or if you are tight on freezer space like us, We prefer to vacuum meal sized portions.
I know you cant vacuum seal liquids but you can vacuum seal them if you freeze them first!
I divide ours into 2 2 serving portions, pour into vacuum sealable bags, freeze them standing up THEN vacuum seal them froze. Ill then let them defrost slightly to press them into flat packs to take up the minimum freezer space AND they will defrost easily.
To reheat simply remove from the bag and heat on the stove OR heat the soup in the bag and pour it directly into your bowl!
You May Like: Is Organic Valley Ricotta Cheese Pasteurized
How To Keep Cheese From Clumping In Soup
The key to getting a smooth cheese soup is choosing the right cheese, preparing it correctly, adding it to the liquid at the right time. Here are my recommendations for a smooth cheese soup.
1. Make sure the soup isnt too hot. Temperatures over about 150 F break down the protein bonds in the cheese which can lead to clumps.
2. Add in small handfuls of cheese at a time. Just bit by bit. Whisk or stir the soup until each handful of cheese is thoroughly melted and incorporated before adding the next.
3. If you still have clumps, try using blocks of cheese that you shred yourself. Sometimes pre-shredded cheeses can contain stabilizers that might make them harder to melt.
Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup Slow Cooker
This keto broccoli cheddar soup also happens to be super easy and is made with only a few basic ingredients.
In fact, chances are you already have the majority of what you need to make this cheesy hearty soup.
I decided to make this keto broccoli soup recipe in a slow cooker because lets face it, life is so much easier when we can throw some ingredients into a pot and let it do all the work for us.
Just toss the majority of the ingredients into your crockpot, set it to low, and then a couple of hours later you simply stir in the shredded cheese.
It really is that simple to enjoy a low-carb version that tastes like traditional broccoli cheese soup.
Its perfect comfort food, turned into a low carb recipe!
Make sure you remember also to check out our Keto Cream Cheese Recipesfor other delicious recipes that feature cream cheese.
Its the secret ingredient that makes this a creamy soup without the need for any thickening agents.
Don’t Miss: How To Make Kraft Macaroni And Cheese
How To Thicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup Naturally
Believe it or not, the thickener in this gluten-free broccoli cheese soup is simply cheese. No flour, starches, or artificial thickeners are necessary for this one.
The heavy cream also reduces as it cooks, which helps very slightly with thickening. For this reason, I wouldnt recommend swapping out the cream with any kind of milk. It will work okay, but the result will be a lot less creamy.
Of course, the cheese does the majority of the work in thickening this broccoli cheddar soup recipe
When I discovered that shredded cheddar works so well, I honestly wondered why Ive never seen this before. Yes, its a teeny tiny bit thinner than a flour-thickened version, but its so much easier. And, its better for you, too.
No carbs, no fuss, and still creamy and delicious. Thats a win-win, and makes this top my list when it comes to broccoli and cheese soup recipes.
Use A Blender For Soup
One of my favorite and most used gadgets in the kitchen may not be what you think.
Its a blender! I love my Vitamix high speed blender, and use it at least once a day. Its one of those indispensable tools Ive come to rely on and would replace immediately if it were to go out.
Which I cant imagine happening anytime soon, and Ive used mine regularly for a good seven years. Its great not just for smoothies, but baking, soups, anything.
But back to the recipe.
Don’t Miss: What Color Is Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients Youll Need To Make This Recipe
- Butter Unsalted butter to sautee the onions and garlic in.
- Onion and garlic Both these vegetables add extra flavor to the soup.
- Chicken broth Also known as chicken stock. You can use a homemade chicken broth or store bought. I like using organic chicken stock as it has no additives or added sugar.
- Heavy cream Gives the soup an extra rich and creamy texture, without affecting the flavor.
- Broccoli Finely chopped broccoli. Avoid using frozen broccoli as it will yield a much more thinner soup.
- Smoked paprika Adds some smokey flavor which works very well with the cheese.
- Salt and pepper To taste.
- Cheddar cheese A flavorful and easy melting cheese. You can swap out half of it with red Leicester or vintage cheddar if youd like a more intense cheese flavor. Try to shred your own cheese, as it is cheaper to do and melts into the soup seamlessly.
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Grab a medium to large soup pot and get that heating up over medium heat on the stove top. Add the butter and let it melt while you chop the broccoli, onions, and celery.
You want a pretty small chop on these veggies. I go with very small cubes for the onions and celery, and about 1 sized chop on the broccoli.
Add all of those veggies to the soup pot and stir it around. Season it with salt and pepper. You can adjust the seasoning at the end, if necessary.
Saute the veggies for about 8 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. You dont want to fry the veggies. They shouldnt be getting any color.
Add the garlic and saute for an additional 1 minute. It will start to become fragrant and your mouth will surely start watering in anticipation.
Next, stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. You want to make sure the soup is just simmering, not high enough heat to boil. Boiling would cause the cream to break.
Sprinkle in the shredded cheddar and stir until completely melted. I always shred my own cheese from the block to avoid the added flour thats dusted onto pre-shredded cheese.
Now you can just let the soup simmer for about 5-10 minutes to meld together and thicken slightly. It will still be fairly liquidy. If its too thin for you, it can be thickened with a little bit of xanthan gum.
Also Check: Where Can You Buy Vegan Cheese
Low Carb Substitutions & Additions
Here are a few more suggestions that you can do to make this keto broccoli cheddar soup your very own version.
- Substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Add in curry for unique flavoring.
- Blend the soup into a keto broccoli cheese cream soup.
- No ground mustard, no problem. Ive used a tsp of regular yellow mustard before as a substitute.
- Double the broccoli for more veggie power.
- Top off your soup with extra shredded cheese and/or chives.
Read Also: Philly Steak Papadia
How To Make A Thicker Gluten
As I stated earlier this soup uses zero flour, starches, or artificial thickeners.
The soup is naturally thickened by the combination of heavy cream, cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese.
If you prefer a thicker soup you can also reduce the water in this recipe by one cup. Alternatively, you can increase the cheddar cheese to 3 cups instead of the 2 1/2 cups it calls for.
You can also puree the keto soup by using a blender, stick blender, or food processor after cooking.
Lastly, you can also just simmer the soup a little longer and it will reduce naturally.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Mac And Cheese In Microwave
Tips For Creamy Clump
Following all of these tips will ensure you do NOT have a clumpy cheesy soup!
Other Diets This Recipe Is Good For
This is already keto-friendly, but what other diets is it ok for?
Considering that there is absolutely no flour it makes it gluten-free. But make sure that your chicken broth is gluten-free as well.
Speaking of chicken broth, unfortunately, since we use it, it doesnt make your soup 100% vegetarian.
However, an easy fix to that problem is to replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and now your problem is solved.
You May Like: What Comes On A Quarter Pounder With Cheese At Mcdonald’s
I Know There Are Already Eleventy
Before we get to this keto broccoli cheese soup recipe, I must tell you that Ive recently been introduced to the joys of the parmesan cheese chip and Im hooked.
Ironically I was so outraged over paying $7 for a head of cauliflower that I wrote an irate letter and boycotted it due to the price buuuuuuuttt when it comes to Parmesan cheese crisps that I could easily make at home for literally pennies???
I paid $4.99 for a 7 oz bag that had maybe 15 chips in it.
And Id do it again.
Just look away OK, I cant bear to see you witness my shame.
Parmesan cheese crisps are a super tasty crunchy addition to this keto broccoli cheddar soup. You can also set aside some smaller pieces of cooked broccoli to add to this low carb broccoli soup if you want a chunkier texture.
I wanted this keto broccoli cheese soup to be basic at its foundation but you can easily throw in some chopped bacon, chicken or ham to make it even heartier if you prefer!
Full disclosure I made this entire batch of keto broccoli cheddar soup in the microwave, so there is no stove required. I know some of you are gasping in horror because you think the microwave is the devil, but some people are living in dorm rooms where all they have is a microwave, and those people are psyched right now.
You can absolutely make this cheesy keto broccoli soup on the stovetop just saying you dont NEED to if its not an option or youre pressed for time.
