Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup is creamy, light, and delicious. You’ll never miss the flour, butter or heavy cream! This recipe comes together very quickly and is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly night.
The shredded chicken is a great way to add more protein to this soup recipe. Plus, this soup is thickened with cauliflower puree instead of a roux and heavy cream, keeping it on the lighter side. Lastly, if you use bone broth instead of chicken stock, you’ll get the added benefits of collagen too. This soup is so good your entire family will be coming back for more!
Looking for more soup recipes? Try my Chicken Tortilla Soup, Buffalo Chicken Chili, Bone Broth Chicken Noodle Soup.
Ingredients Needed for Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Chicken – This recipe calls for one pond of shredded chicken. Option to boil the chicken and shred it or you can use rotisserie chicken.
- Oil – This recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil. Option to use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- Vegetables – This recipe calls for diced onion, grated carrots, broccoli florets, and boiled / pureed cauliflower.
- Bone Broth – You’ll need chicken bone broth for this recipe. Option to use chicken stock instead. However, the bone broth adds collagen and extra nutrients.
- Milk – This recipe calls for 2% milk.
- Cheese – Freshly grate some mild cheddar cheese for this recipe.
- Seasoning – Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Boil the Chicken
Add water and chicken broth to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken breasts to the boiling broth and let them cook through. This will take about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Drain the liquid and let the chicken cool before shredding.
Boil and Puree the Cauliflower
Boil a pot or water and cook the cauliflower florets until fork tender. Drain off the water and add the fork tender cauliflower to a food processor. Buzz until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Set aside.
Make the Soup
Heat a soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil, diced onions, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, then add the chopped broccoli and grated carrots. Sauté for a few minutes.
Once the broccoli and carrots are tender, add the bone broth followed by the milk. Stir well. Next, add the cauliflower puree and the shredded chicken. Let everything simmer in the pot.
Finally, add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the soup reaches your preferred thickness. If it gets too tight, add some broth to thin it. Serve hot and enjoy!
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in a soup pot or in the microwave until warmed through. Looking for more recipes? Try my Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’d suggest using the mild cheddar cheese recommended. If you want to swap for something else, just make sure it melts easily.
Enjoy this soup with crusty bread, naan bread or sourdough bread for dipping.
Yes! Simply reheat this soup recipe in a pot or in the microwave until warmed through.
Other Soups to Consider Trying
Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- 1 soup pot
- 1 food processor
- 2 pots one for boiling chicken, one for boiling cauliflower
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 cups sweet onion, diced small
- kosher salt, to taste
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups broccoli florets, remove stem, chop small
- 1 cup carrots, grated or shredded
- 2.5 cup chicken bone broth, or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 24 ounces cauliflower florets, boil, drain and puree
- 2-2.5 cups mild shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
How to Make Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Boil the Chicken
- Add water and chicken broth to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken breasts to the boiling broth and let them cook through. This will take about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Drain the liquid and let the chicken cool before shredding.
Boil and Puree the Cauliflower
- Boil a pot or water and cook the cauliflower florets until fork tender. Drain off the water and add the fork tender cauliflower to a food processor. Buzz until smooth and creamy, no lumps. Set aside.
Make the Soup
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil, diced onions, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, then add the chopped broccoli and grated carrots. Saute until tender.
- Once the broccoli and carrots are tender, add the bone broth to deglaze the pan, followed by the milk. Stir well. Next, add the cauliflower puree and the shredded chicken. Let everything simmer in the pot.Finally, add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the soup reaches your preferred thickness. If it gets too thick, add some broth to thin it out. Serve hot and enjoy!
35 Comments on “Healthy Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup”
I made this last night as it is written and it’s so yummy! I used shredded rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. The puréed cauliflower was perfect for creaminess. Thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! TY for the review!
So instead of milk I blended the cauliflower with cottage for extra protein. I would of used bone broth also but it was cooking in the crockpot at the time so just use chicken broth. Super easy to make. Thanks for a new recipe to add to my winter selection.
So glad you enjoyed!
Haven’t made it yet coming this week. The only thing I do as with most my soups, I make all my own soup stock, so I’m going to prepare the protein in my stock with added onion, garlic, Italian spice. When done I put the cauliflower florets in the broth & cook it and then follow you recipe to finish. Sometimes when making a soup I season the meat the night before it, boiled chicken presents bland if not doctored! So glad its yummy soup time🍖🍗🥩🥓🧅🧄🌶️🥕🌽🥦🥬🍠🥔🍏🍋🍋🟩🫚🥖
Hi Niki, I hope you enjoy it! Maybe you can update your review from 1 star once you try it!