Broccoli and cheddar soup is, of course, one of the greatest soups ever invented. However, I’m willing to bet, that after you’ve tried this cauliflower and cheese version of the same soup, with dried thyme and a few other seasonings, you’ll have a hard time admitting that it’s not even better. And, as an added bonus, it is made using only one pot. You just gotta love a quick, comforting, weeknight one-pot recipe.
Confession time. I have never, in my forty-plus years of existence, made broccoli cheddar soup. I know, I know, what the heck? How is that even possible? I mean, first of all, who would believe I was forty-plus years old? I know, I know, I still look like I am in my early twenties, right? Cough, cough. Hey, there’s no need to be rude. I’m sure there may be some poor ignorant fool out there with extremely bad eyesight that could possibly mistake me for a twenty-something.
But seriously, when it comes to broccoli cheddar soup, it’s just never been a recipe that I felt the need to make from scratch. After all, our local market has a perfectly good refrigerated version that is so convenient and delicious. Why should I spend my precious time making a similar homemade version? Y’all, this freaking recipe is why. This amazingly delicious cauliflower soup kicks boring ol’ broccoli cheddar soup’s ass. Trust me on this one, when it comes to soup, ditch the broccoli.
Ingredients:
- 8 Teaspoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 3 Carrots, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 2 (10.8-oz.) Bags Frozen Cauliflower Florets
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 6-oz. Medium Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Shredded
Directions:
- Place the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the diced onion to the stockpot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the flour to the stockpot; cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Very slowly add the broth to the flour and onion mixture, stirring constantly.
- Add the carrots, cauliflower, mustard, hot sauce, salt, thyme, pepper, and nutmeg to the stockpot. Stir to combine and then cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Very slowly add the milk to the stockpot, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add the cheese to the soup in very small batches. Stir the soup between each batch of cheese to ensure that it melts evenly into the soup. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Suggestions:
- I used a heavy-bottomed non-stick pot for this recipe. The heavy bottom ensures that the soup doesn’t burn and the non-stick ensures easier cleanup.
- When you add the broth to the onion and flour mixture, it will absorb immediately and become a very thick paste. Just keep slowly adding the broth and constantly stirring.
- I used cauliflower florets in this recipe because I wanted lots of texture. If you don’t want large pieces of cauliflower in your soup, you can thaw and chop the cauliflower before adding it to the soup. The same goes for the carrots. You can shred the carrots instead of dicing them.
- Do not forget to turn down the heat before adding the milk and the cheese.
- Don’t add all of the cheese at once. If you add it slowly, it gives it time to slowly melt into the soup without breaking. Also, make sure to shred your own cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese has a non-caking agent which will not work well for this recipe.
Improvements:
- Replace the frozen cauliflower in this soup with frozen broccoli.
- Use half mild cheddar and half gruyère for this recipe. Don’t be afraid to play around with different varieties of cheese.
- Add a few stalks of finely diced celery when sautéing the diced onion.
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian or Meatless Monday version of this soup.
- CLICK HERE to see all of our other amazing soup, chili, stew, and chowder recipes.
Ingredients:
- 8 Teaspoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 3 Carrots, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 2 (10.8-oz.) Bags Frozen Cauliflower Florets
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg
- 2 Cups Whole Milk
- 6-oz. Medium Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Shredded
Directions:
- Place the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the diced onion to the stockpot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the flour to the stockpot; cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Very slowly add the broth to the flour and onion mixture, stirring constantly.
- Add the carrots, cauliflower, mustard, hot sauce, salt, thyme, pepper, and nutmeg to the stockpot. Stir to combine and then cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Very slowly add the milk to the stockpot, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add the cheese to the soup in very small batches. Stir the soup between each batch of cheese to ensure that it melts evenly into the soup. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Make sure to check out all of the other great Sunday Funday “One Pot Wonders” recipes below. A huge thanks to Food Lust People Love for hosting this event.
- Arroz Caldo from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Chicken Pot Pie Stew from Making Miracles
- Indian-spiced Pork Chop Potato Skillet from Food Lust People Love
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Malaysian-Inspired Chicken and Pork Curry from Palatable Pastime
- Mujaddara from Mayuri’s Jikoni
- One-Pot Cauliflower & Cheddar Soup with Thyme from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Shakshuka from Sneha’s Recipe
- Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Potatoes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories