Lightened Up Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup

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Adding potatoes to a lightened up version of Broccoli and Cheese Soup makes it the perfect creamy and hearty soup for a cold winter evening.

A top view of a bowl of soup filled with creamy broccoli and potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Broccoli cheese soup is one of my favorites.  There’s something about the warm, comforting cream base that just screams comfort food.  The only thing I hate about it is the fat and calories.  Cream based soups are often high in both and broccoli cheese is no exception. 

So when I was looking in my Taste of Home magazine and saw a healthier version I was excited to try it.  Even better?  It was loaded with one of my favorite foods-potatoes!

I love that this soup combines broccoli, potatoes, and cheese together in one delicious soup.  It’s kind of like having a cheesy potato soup which totally works in this case.

Ingredients:

  • potatoes
  • onions
  • garlic
  • chicken broth
  • salt and pepper
  • thyme
  • broccoli
  • flour
  • milk
  • cream cheese
  • cheddar cheese

To make the soup you combine the potatoes, onions, and garlic with the liquid ingredients and spices and let that simmer for a little while.   Then you add in the broccoli.

Pin Image: A plate with a bread bowl filled with creamy Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup topped with shredded cheese, text, a bowl of creamy Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup topped with shredded cheese.

The milk and flour mixture is added in next to help thicken up the soup.  Finally the cream cheese and cheddar cheese are added and mixed until melted into the soup.   It’s that easy!

Can I use fresh broccoli?

Of course!   If you are using fresh broccoli instead of frozen add it in with the potatoes and onions at the beginning so that it is able to cook.  If you add it at the end it will be crunchy.

Can I use another type of cheese?

Sure!   Choose a cheese that you enjoy but since cheddar cheese melts well I would keep half the cheddar cheese and just add in another cheese like Swiss or American.

Can I add other veggies?

Yes!   Great choices would be cauliflower or bell peppers.   Add these at the beginning of the recipe with the potatoes.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can make this soup a day in advance.   Let it cool to room temperature then put it in the refrigerator.   Heat it up when you are ready to use it.

Can I freeze this soup?

I wouldn’t.   The broccoli and potatoes will basically turn to mush if you freeze this plus since it has a lot of cheese in it the consistency will be off.

A plate with a bread bowl filled with creamy Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup topped with shredded cheese.

I really like this soup and in addition to being easy to make it was ready to eat in about 30 minutes.  I love quick soup recipes that still taste good and this is one of those that doesn’t need to simmer all day.

The original recipe called for the soup to be pureed in the blender but I really like to see the chunks of potatoes and broccoli in my soup.   I also added in some cream cheese to thicken it up and add some flavor since I didn’t puree the vegetables.

Overall this was a hearty and tasty soup.  There were large chunks of both potatoes and broccoli and the soup was light on the creaminess but still had a delicious cheese flavor.  I served it with a tossed salad and rolls for a complete meal.

Pro Tips and Substitutions:

  • You can make this soup several hours ahead of time and simply simmer it on the stove until it’s time to eat.
  • Fresh broccoli can be substituted for the frozen.  Simple simmer for an additional 10 minutes to make the broccoli tender.
  • You can add in different cheese besides cheddar but I would keep at least half of the cheese cheddar.

If you’ve tried my Lightened Up Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Soup or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

A top view of a bowl of soup filled with creamy broccoli and potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Lightened Up Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup

Adding potatoes to a lightened up version of Broccoli and Cheese Soup makes it the perfect creamy and hearty soup for a cold winter evening.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Calories: 355kcal
Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

  • 3 large potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 3/4 c. low fat milk
  • 6 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 c. part skim shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • In a large pot combine the potatoes, onions, garlic, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  •   Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the broccoli and return to a boil.
  • In a small bowl whisk the flour and milk together until smooth.  Stir into the soup along with the cream cheese.  Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the soup has thickened.
  • Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cayenne pepper and cheddar cheese.  Mix until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve hot with additional cheese for topping.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g

A bowl filled with Broccoli and Cheese Potato Soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese

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7 Comments

  1. I love this kind of soup. I don’t put mine through a blender either but rather use a potato masher to help thicken the overall soup up. Never tried cream cheese in a soup, but I know it would be great. I’ll have to give that a go next time.

  2. Broccoli cheese soup is a guilty favorite of mine and my middle son. No one else in our house likes it. I have to admit I can never get it to thicken correctly.

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