Easy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup – The True Superfood (5 min prep!)
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You’d be forgiven if you think we’re obsessed with broccoli and cauliflower.
Not only do we now have broccoli and cauliflower soup, we also have a broccoli and cauliflower salad, and a roasted Mediterranean broccoli and cauliflower bake. That’s a lot of broccoli and cauliflower. And you know why?
Because it rocks. It’s that simple.
It’s tasty, it’s filling, it’s nutrient dense and it’s cheap.
Superfoods get shouted about all the time. Like a z-list celebrity they rise and fall from grace; sometimes you can get hold of them, sometimes you can’t. Prices tend to stay high, however.
What makes them so super, anyway?
Broccoli and cauliflower don’t cause anywhere near the excitement the latest grain or berry that grows only in moonlight on the mysterious plains near the magical waterfall does, but they should.
Both are cruciferous vegetables and are incredibly high in nutrients and vitamins. But we’ve talked about this before. You can find all the veggie goodness details and research right here and here.
What I’m more interested in today is the cooking method.
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Boiling? Roasting? Steaming? Frying?
Although all forms of cooking result in some loss of vitamins within vegetables, it is generally regarded that steaming is one of the best ways to cook veg, and boiling is not.
That’s mostly because the water soluble vitamins in veg will leak out into the water when boiled. Then they’ll be poured down the plughole when the veg is ready.
But not if you make soup! Those lovely vitamins will be retained and eaten – by you. Pretty awesome, huh?
So, make broccoli and cauliflower soup and enjoy the vitamins and nutrients at their best.
How to eat broccoli and cauliflower soup
Our filling and healthy broccoli cauliflower soup is versatile and can be eaten on different occasions.
You can have it as a wholesome meal with a side of whole-grain toast and green salad. It can also be an appetizer, which will stop you from eating more for the main course.
Cheddar cheese will make this broccoli and cauliflower soup extra creamy and flavourful. You can also use some cream as an alternative or just keep it vegan with nutritional yeast.
Broccoli – always a great idea
Broccoli is one of the foremost vegetables to come to mind when thinking about green vegetables rich in nutrients.
This superfood contains many vitamins and minerals vital to our health – vitamins A (in the form of carotenoids), B (especially folate), C, E, K, and phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and selenium.
100 grams of broccoli provides 34 calories, 2.8 g of protein, 2.6 g of dietary fiber, and has 89% water content.
The high fiber and water content reduce appetite and increase overall satiety. So this broccoli and cauliflower soup can help you to fill up and support your weight loss goals.
In addition to that, the high fiber content in broccoli draws helps to slow down absorption of food which can contribute to improved cholesterol and blood sugar readings. One review showed improved insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes patients who consumed broccoli sprouts daily for a month.
Perks of being a cauliflower
Cauliflower is also powered by vitamins – B (folate), C, K, and minerals – phosphorus, biotin, potassium, and magnesium.
100 grams of cauliflower provides 25 calories, 1.9 g of protein, 2 g of dietary fiber, and has 92% water content.
Just like broccoli, cauliflower is high in fiber and water content and promotes fullness. The fiber also supports digestive health by improving bowel functions.
There are many interesting ways to serve cauliflower – roasted or steamed as a side dish, fried, baked with cheese, as the main ingredient in a curry.
Broccoli-cauliflower duo for weight loss
In this broccoli and cauliflower soup recipe, two powerful vegetables come together to help you on your weight loss journey (more vegetarian weight loss soups this way!). They both offer a nutrient-rich profile with enough fiber and water to promote satiety.
It’s very important to make certain that all the calories you consume have nutritional value, especially while losing weight. This healthy broccoli and cauliflower soup recipe takes care of that.
More than 50 studies concluded that increasing fiber intake by 14 g a day over about four months provided a 10% decrease in daily caloric intake and body weight loss of 2 kg.
This creamy broccoli and cauliflower soup can slow down your digestion thus reducing calorie intake throughout the day (it’s one of our favorite filling low calorie soups for a reason!).
If you want to lose weight on a vegetarian diet and learn more healthy veggie recipes, check out our free vegetarian weight loss meal plan.
Hope you enjoy making our cheesy broccoli cauliflower soup and getting all the nutrients that come with it. Share your thoughts and ideas with us!
What our readers are saying
Just what I wanted – quick, easy and nutritious! Made it with mainly broccoli as only had a tiny bit of cauliflower left. Roasted a tin of chickpeas and threw them in at the end with the cheese instead of crutons. Delicious!
Kate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yummmmmm currently spooning a bowl of this deliciousness into my face right now!!! I didn’t have any basil so left that out, used dry thyme instead of fresh, used a shake of celery salt, and 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast in place of the cheddar. Thank you for a delish recipe! Going into the staples ❤️
Lisa ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great soup! Added Parmesan instead of Cheddar as I like it more salty. You have earned another devoted follower!
Ioanna ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ broccoli (2 cups, chopped, frozen is fine too)
- ½ cauliflower (2 cups, chopped, frozen is fine too)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (4 cups = 1 liter)
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp thyme, fresh (dried is fine too)
- 1 tbsp basil, fresh (dried is fine too)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese or ⅔ cup low fat cream (⅔ cup = 175ml)
Optional:
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (to keep it vegan – an excellent and low fat alternative to cheese or cream)
- 1 tbsp parsley, dried (or chives)
Instructions
- Slice the onion into rings and throw it in a big pan with the olive oil.1 onion, 1 tsp olive oil
- Cook on a low-medium for 3 minutes. Chop the garlic roughly and cook for another minute.1 cloves garlic
- In the meantime, roughly chop the broccoli and cauliflower.½ broccoli, ½ cauliflower
- Make the veggie stock as per packet instructions.4 cups vegetable broth
- Throw the broccoli and cauliflower into the pan.
- Add the stock and simmer for fifteen minutes.
- Turn the heat off and add the cheddar cheese. Hold just a little cheddar cheese back for serving. Add the thyme, basil and mustard. Give it all a good stir and let the flavours mix together for a few minutes.1 tsp thyme, fresh, 1 tbsp basil, fresh, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- Finally, use a hand blender and give it a blend!
- Serve with fresh bread and a few herbs of choice for garnish.
Been looking for a good solid broccoli and cauliflower recipe. I having some leftover veggie stock from scratch to make this tonight!
Nice, Billy! I bet it’s even better with the homemade stock. Enjoy!!
I liked this soup. The mustard and herbs really brought out the flavour. Easy and healthy!
Thanks Rachel! Really glad you enjoyed it. That’s exactly what we’re aiming for 🙂
Nice flavorful soup, but subtle flavors. I did not add any salt. Thinner than I thought is was going to be.
This soup is GREAT, it was quick and easy! I was in a hurry so I used a bag of frozen broccoli and a bag of frozen cauliflower. To give the soup a little kick I added some crushed red pepper flakes. The consistency was wonderful, not to thick not to thin. The family loved it. This will be my go to for broccoli soup from now on.
Awesome!! That’s really cool to hear Michelle. And thank you for writing. Always happy to hear the kids are eating broccoli 😀
Yummmmmm currently spooning a bowl of this deliciousness into my face right now!!! I didn’t have any basil so left that out, used dry thyme instead of fresh, used a shake of celery salt, and 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast in place of the cheddar. Thank you for a delish recipe! Going into the staples ❤️
Very happy to help, Lisa! Glad you enjoyed it so much, and the replacements sound great. We appreciate you writing, too!
I liked it, but thought it needed a bit more flavor. I happened to have a small bag of dried porcini mushrooms in the pantry and about a tablespoon of goat cheese in the refrigerator. So I threw those in, gave it a stir and let it “steep” for about 20 minutes. It was perfect! Dipping a crusty piece of whole grain bread in it made it over the top.
Love broccoli an cauliflower. But the tyme seems over powering in taste to me.
Hi Linda, did you try out the soup already? Will be making it again next week and I’m happy to implement feedback! Cheers 🙂
That sounds so good!
It was a little thinner than I was expecting, I also added a few extra spices and some pepper. I had it without cheese and enjoyed it – my daughter had it with cheese and she absolutely LOVED it.
Wow, deliciously easy soup with a nice flavour punch! Easy to make vegan by subbing nutritional yeast for the grated cheese! Made this last night when asked to make soup – which at first I wasn’t feeling very inspired to do, to be honest – and specifically looked for an online soup recipe that would use up both the broccoli and the cauliflower I had on hand. I was intrigued by the flavour combination of dijon mustard, cheese, cruciferous veggies, and fresh herbs (the latter of which I also already had on hand, thanks to a hubby with a green thumb and a neighbour who, sone time ago, was inexplicably throwing away a lovely custom-made wooden indoor planter with full-spectrum lights that just needed a small amount of repair!) This soup did not disappoint, even with the cheddar cheese subbed out with nutrtional yeast (to keep it dairy free). Thanks for a great, easy, satisfying recipe!
Oh, the nutritional yeast is a great idea!! Why didn’t I think of that? Definitely adding it next time, I usually make this the vegan way but the yeast will be a great addition. I’m actually going to put that as ‘optional’ in the recipe now, thanks Sara. Really glad you enjoyed. Thanks for writing!
Hi everyone, i have yet to try this soup i did read in an above comment that the soup is thinner then one thought, ive never made a yum soup like this dpes anyone have any ideas on how to make this soup thicker? Nothing beats a thick winter like soup. Thanks 🙂
Hi! There are a couple of ways – the easiest is to use more veggies and less water/broth. That thickens it right up. You can also use conflour or similar. Personally I’d throw in a couple of extra veggies for extra goodness :). Hope that helps!
I always have a packet of dried potato in the cupboard (the instant mash kind that doesn’t have milk or butter in it)so if my soup seems a bit thin I sprinkle some in
Cool idea, Hazel!! Yes, I bet that thickens it up really nicely!
Hi, I just add a potato with the other vegies and it thickens really well without going gluey, sweet potato does the same thing. Awesome recipe, loved it and so easy and quick for after work!
Thanks for the review! 🙂
Love! I made it minus basil and with the cheese. I think next time I’ll try the cream or a different cheese.
I added a whole broccoli and half a big head of cauliflower and my consistency was thicker than expected based on the comments.
I usually thicken a soup up with potato or camellia beans or chickpeas as a suggestion to those who said this was too thin!
Sounds like a win, LL! Thanks for the tips, I’m sure other readers will find them very helpful!
Pleasantly surprised! Although fairly simple it really is good! My 16 year old had a friend over. They came to dish up and my son asked (with a questionable look on his face) “what is this?” A few minutes later I heard them saying to each other “this is actually good!”. They both came back for seconds! The friend even admitted he doesn’t usually like broccoli. I used a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower that also included carrots. I just ran hot water over them then put them in the food processor for a few seconds. I didn’t have cream and was afraid milk might curdle so I scooped some soup into a bowl and added a dash of milk to test (I like the look of it) and it didn’t curdle!
Haha, that’s great! Yes, it’s surprsing what can eventually be made edible for teenagers :D. I’m glad they enjoyed it and got some broccoli down them! Cool idea with the frozen veg too, definitely a time-saver!
Delicious !! I opted for the 1 cup grated cheese method , added 4 mushrooms to the vegies and used 1/2 tsp thyme . I also added the optional 1 tbsp dried parsley . I used the premade vegie broth that comes in the carton . Thanks for sharing this…will definitely be making it again !
Sounds really good, Cindy! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and yes, it’s an easy recipe to put a personal twist on. I couldn’t handle the mushrooms myself but the rest sounds excellent!!
Delicious ! I made this using the cheddar cheese option plus added four mushrooms in with the veggies and a premade carton o f vegetable broth . Used all the recommended spices but cut back on the thyme to 1/2 tsp . Thanks for sharing this recipe , l will definitely make rhis again !
Was just thinking about how I can use up my broccoli and cauliflower… Then I googled about it and your website popped up. Soup is on the stove cooking and the whole house smells delicious! Can’t wait to try it! Thank you guys for such a quick and easy veggie recipe 🙂
Great soup! Added Parmesan instead of Cheddar as I like it more salty. You have earned another devoted follower!
Thank you, Ioanna! Very kind of you to say, and I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Good to have you with us!!
This is fantastic! I roasted the garlic with the cauliflower for a richer flavor. My teenage daughter added a 1/2 of lemon juice, little cayenne and rosemary. The lemon juice is refreshing and lightens the flavor.
Hi Julia! Ooh nice touch with roasting the cauli, can imagine that was tasty. The rest sounds great as well, glad you enjoyed the soup so much!
This Broccolli Caulifllower soup sounds wonderful. I have all the ingredients to make it today. But my question is, does it freeze well?
Hi Alexis! I haven’t tried freezing it – yet! My gut feeling is yes it will freeze well, as similar ones I made were fine 🙂
My proportion of veggies was off – I had 3 cups of broccoli but only 1 of cauliflower. It still worked deliciously! I did add a can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed and blended with the veggies for a bit more “body” and nutrition. Didn’t have fresh herbs so the amount of dried that I used was 1/4 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp basil. I grated the cheese right into the serving bowl and ladled the soup over, plus grated a little more cheese on top, of course! 🙂 Then finalized the presentation with a sprinkle of Allium Blend and Sea Salt from Trader Joe’s. Wonderful make-again soup. Thanks!
Sounds really good, G! Yes, I’d agree – the veggie amounts can be changed around here if neccessary :). The beans is a great idea, love a bit of extra veggie protein whenever possible!
Googled broccoli and cauliflower soup and your soup recipe came up . Well chuffed as I had all the ingredients! I used frozen veg and a combination of cheese and cream. Even my meat and two veg partner said how tasty it was – great result! With some leftover I decided to freeze it for another day. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Janet, and thanks! Really glad you enjoyed. Yes, simple but effective ingredients, I think. Thanks for writing!
Just made this…delicious!
Thank you for a healthy soup recipe that was quick and fuss free. Just what we need for today’s lunchtime in sunny (wet!) Scotland!
Niceee!! Really glad you liked the soup, Fiona! Greetings to Scotland!
Too much salt.
Liz
use less salt 😛
I had some broccoli and cauliflower and needed a quick recipe and this one came up, made it without all the optionals as we are on a strict diet so no cheddar etc, just added a dash of grated cheese on top, also didn’t have Dijon but used a sprinkle of bacon seasoning (because… bacon, right?). I didn’t measure the veggies but I used about same amounts as on the recipe… This is definitely going in my go-to recipe folder… low-carb, full of flavours, filling… nothing more to ask for, hit all the right spots, well done!
Glad you enjoyed, Steffi! Yes, absolutely, it hits the spot and is nice and easy. I always come back to this one, too 🙂
One word – scrumptious!
Yay, thank you very much!
Loved this! I used dry herbs and nutritional yeast to keep it vegan. I opted for some dried chives and finished it with dried parsley and some more nooch. Bravo!! My omni partner loved it!
So good! Thanks for sharing a simple, yet delicious recipe! Will make again!
Just made again today! 🙂
Just what I wanted – quick, easy and nutritious! Made it with mainly broccoli as only had a tiny bit of cauliflower left. Roasted a tin of chickpeas and threw them in at the end with the cheese instead of crutons. Delicious!
Thanks Kate, glad you enjoyed! Can never go wrong with chickpeas either 😀
Delicious. I’m almost vegan so I’ve been looking for delish recipes and I’m on a soup craze right now. This was very delicious, the basil gave it a good flavour. I also added a little paprika and cayenne pepper for a little kick , topped with coriander. Will definitely make again
Awesome to hear, and thanks for writing! Really glad you enjoyed it. Yes I bet the paprika and cayenne fitted very nicely, seems a nice fit for the colder winter months at the moment, too!
Really delicious! I had some limp broccolie and cauliflower to use up and found this recipe. Used my veggie scrap stock and vegan cheese plus nutritional yeast and some chilli flakes. Very yummy! Thank you will make again. 🙂
Thank you!! Sounds so delicious! 🙂
Super easy and tasty. Thank you.
I’m sorry, but we found this soup to be lacking in flavor and texture. Throwing the rest out.
oh no! That’s not good to hear. I have no idea what went wrong, this one is usually very flavourful indeed! Sorry to hear it 🙁
I made this soup today. Forgot to put in the mustard
But opted to put celery salt . Also added a sachet of coconut cream. Looking forward to eating it for tea with some garlic bread. It’s very versatile recipe so you could add seasoning of your choice. I know it’s good for me so that’s a bonus.
Hey Mary! Even without the mustard that sounds awesome. And yes absolutely, as you say it’s very versatile and very welcoming to individual twists!
When a recipe tells me one clove of garlic, I laugh and quadruple it.
excellent 😀
i made this today and i hate to waste food, but it’s gone straight down the sink. awful taste, and i followed the recipe exactly. shame as i do like Cauliflower and broccoli soup, just not this recipe, i felt there was too much mustard taste in it as well. im not a mustard fan but i added it as the recipe called for it.
Thanks for trying it out! As for me I love this soup and it has never come out badly! I would recommend that you skip the ingredients you don’t like (actually in every recipe).
Delicious!!! OMG I’m in heaven. Quick, easy and sooo good. I would add less broth next time as l like a thicker soup but it’s amazing as is!
Really glad it turned out tasty, Barb!!
What a delicious tasty soup. I doubled up on the cauliflower and broccoli, added a handful of mushrooms and a potato – only a heaped tbsp of mustard and then chilli flakes. To finish off with a dash of cream and pecorino cheese instead of cheddar. Super tasty!!!!
Nice one Mandy! Those additions sound awesome (well, except for the mushrooms, each to their own ). Really glad you liked it!! Thank you for writing 🙂
Tried this today has we had an abundance of broccoli and cauliflower. I added swiz chard , courgette and a spud. It tasted of summer, fresh light and adding cream made it feel indulgent. Would recommend
About to make this and I wonder if it can be frozen and reheated later?? Thanks
yes, you can deffo freeze it 🙂
I made this soup recipe ton8gyt. It is really delicious. I can highly recommend this soup recipe as it is easy to make.
Thank you, Barbara!! Glad it turned out tasty 🙂
I had a lot of broccoli, so I didn’t get to add cauliflower, however, I found this soup very delicious. I love the dijon and I had fresh basil…I left the thyme out and used shallot because I wanted to use what I had. I enjoyed it with a Jackfruit/chickpea vegan take on tuna salad for a great soup and salad supper. Oh, and I added a little vegan cheddar in the bowl. Yum!
Wonderful! Really happy our recipe served as a tasty base! 🙂
Quite tasty. I kept the cheddar cheese on the side for those that wanted it, and added only water to the soup mixture (with spices, and oregano).
Really glad you liked the soup, Barry!!
Thanks Barry, glad you enjoyed it!
The soup is very easy to make, but a tad salty due to the Cheddar cheese. Will make again with crème fresh and a little less Dijon mustard!
Oh great idea, let us know how it goes!! 🙂