Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Start the fall season by making this easy keto broccoli cheese soup recipe. Creamy, filling, satisfying low carb soup of pure comfort food whether you follow a keto diet or not. With only 5 net carbs per serving, you’ll want to add this soup to your meal rotation plan. Learn how to make this in an Instant Pot in just 15 minutes, on the stove top or in a slow cooker.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup
Now that the cooler weather is just around the corner, hearty and warming soup is just what we crave. Here are some reasons you’ll enjoy this creamy soup.
- Simple to make. Heck, this is ready before you can decide what to order for takeout along with the anxious wait for delivery!
- Delicious combination. A little broccoli with creamy cheese is a delicious and nutritious combination! Broccoli is packed with vitamins and minerals (C, K1, magnesium), fiber and iron.
- Low carb recipe that the whole family will love. If you find that you are the only one that follows a ketogenic diet, and often cook two different types of meals to satisfy the rest of your family, then this family favorite soup if for you. One meal that everyone will enjoy.
- Serve as a main meal or as a side with a sandwich, salad or a hearty low carb roll.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Butter – This is used to saute the vegetables. I always cook with unsalted butter and adjust the salt in the recipe as needed. If you prefer, you can use avocado oil (any neutral tasting oil will be fine) or a mix of butter and oil.
- Diced Onions – Slice into small bite size pieces. This adds delicious flavor and will break down even more once cooked.
- Chicken Broth – Use low sodium if you are purchasing your chicken broth. Don’t forget that you can make your own bone broth. When I don’t make my own, I use Better Than Bullion brand. Alternatively, for a vegetarian soup you can replace the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Seasonings – Garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika.
- Shredded Carrot – a little extra vegetable adding nutritious Vitamin A. Carrots are keto friendly if not eaten in large amounts.
- Broccoli Florets – Who else calls florets trees? You’ll need about 3 cups for floret-trees, which is what is typically the amount you’ll get from a large head of broccoli. If you don’t quite have three cups, then be sure to include the broccoli stalks. You may want to peel and dice in small chunks so they cook quicker.
- Cheddar Cheese – I like to use sharp cheddar cheese, but if you are feeling adventurous add a mix of your favorite variety. I have added a little jalapeno pepper cheddar cheese when I want a little extra flavor. Also, shred your own cheese to avoid an additive like cellulose to your dish. Cellulose is used in pre-shredded cheese to keep the cheese from sticking together.
- Heavy cream or half and half – use the heavy cream for the full fat adding to the richness of this soup and also keeping true to a low carb diet. Half & half is equally as delicious.
Kitchen Tools you’ll need:
Instant Pot – I use a 6 quart pressure cooker for this recipe.
Immersion blender, blender or food processor – pureeing some of the broccoli chunks thickens up the soup naturally. I like to blend about half of the soup so that some of the chunks of broccoli remain in the soup. This is an optional step.
Stockpot or 5-6 quart Dutch oven to make on the Stove top.
5-6 quart slow cooker for a toss and go crock pot recipe.
How to make Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup in an Instant Pot
STEP 1: SAUTE VEGETABLES
First you are going to saute your onions and carrots on the sauté mode of your Instant Pot. Before adding the butter to the insert of the instant pot, allow the it to get hot. After the butter melts and begins to sizzle add the vegetables.
STEP 2: ADD CHICKEN BROTH
Next, add in your broccoli, chicken broth, garlic, and seasonings.
STEP 3: SEAL INSTANT POT
Close the lid on your Instant Pot. Lock the sealing valve and set the Instant Pot on Manuel mode for 3 minutes.
STEP 4: PUREE
Once the time is completed, do a quick release by opening the sealing valve. Now is the time to blend the broccoli if you choose. I remove half of the soup base in a separate bowl so that some small pieces of broccoli remain intact.
Insert a stick blender in the pot. Blend to puree, then add back the unblended soup before proceeding.
STEP 5: ADD CREAM
Add in your shredded cheese and heavy cream or half & half. Stir the soup mixture well until the cheese is fully melted and well incorporated.
STEP 6: THICKEN (OPTIONAL)
At this point you can thicken your soup if you choose. See below on some options. Add the thickener of your choice and heat until the soup reaches the consistency you like.
How to make Broccoli cheddar Soup on a Stovetop
Over medium-high heat, add butter to your stockpot or Dutch oven pot.
Saute onions and carrots until fragrant and softened.
Add broccoli, broth, and seasonings. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Blend half of the soup with an immersion blender or food processor (optional).
Add cheese and cream and stir until full incorporated.
Can you make Keto broccoli soup in a slow cooker?
To make this soup in a slow cooker, add the butter, onion carrots, broccoli, chicken broth and seasonings in a slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours.
Blend if you want to break up the fresh broccoli into a puree consistency.
Add the cheese and heavy cream or half & half and stir until well incorporated and warmed.
To thicken add a slurry and heat (mix well) until it thickens.
How to store Cheese Soup Recipes
Cool soup at room temperature before you store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Broccoli cheese soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place soup in a freezable container or freezer bag. I like to store in quart size bags so that they can lay flat in the freezer.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Put in a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
How to thicken Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
There are several ways you can make this a thick soup. Here are some of my favorite methods.
As mentioned above you can puree the broccoli to naturally thicken the soup.
- Naturally thicken the soup by pureeing the broccoli after it has been cooked.
- Add a small amount of xanthan gum (1/4 teaspoon) without adding any carbohydrates.
- Another way to thicken the soup is to add cream cheese. Just a couple of ounces will thicken the soup once it’s melted and mixed throughout the soup. Add with the cheese and cream.
- If your macronutrients allow for some wiggle room, then consider adding corn starch or flour. The traditional way to thicken soup is to mix a slurry, which is a tablespoon of corn starch (7 grams of carbs) or flour (6 grams of carbs) with a tablespoon of water. Mix well before adding to the soup. Heat until it thickens to the consistency you prefer.
More Keto Soup Recipes to try:
Cauliflower Soup – This is a vegan recipe with warm flavorful spices like turmeric.
Avocado Soup – Creamy and satisfying. This soup is ready in 20 minutes!
Keto Chicken Soup – Slow developed flavor from cooking in a dutch oven and loaded with healthy fats and tender morsels of chicken.
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup – Top with low carb tortillas to keep this favorite Latin soup keto friendly.
Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup 4 Tablespoons butter
- ½ onion diced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 Large carrot shredded
- 1 large head of broccoli 3 cups, florets
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups half & half or heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch plus 1 Tablespoon water optional for a thicker soup – see post for alternatives
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Allow it to get hot, and then add in your butter.
- Once hot, add in your onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes until they are fragrant and softened.
- Add in your carrots. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add in your broccoli, chicken broth, garlic, and seasonings.
- Close the lid on your Instant Pot. Seal the valve and push the Manual mode. Set for 3 minutes.
- After the time has completed, carefully quick release by opening the sealing valve. Once the pressure has been fully released, open the lid.
- If the broccoli isn’t broken down as much as you would like, blend have of the soup mixture with an immersion stick to get the desired consistency.
- Add in your cheese and half & half or cream. Mix well until the cheese is fully melted and well incorporated.
- Thicken if you choose to do so with a thickener of your choice (see post for options).
- Top each bowl of soup with bacon, more cheese or sliced green onions.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
PIN TO YOUR RECIPE BOARDS
This was delicious. I’m not keto, but I have lots of keto friends, and I like to make things for them when I have them over. My guests loved this and were so thankful that I made something special and yummy for them!
This soup was so delicious!! Broccoli cheese soup has always been a favorite of mine, and I love your Keto version better than the one I used to make! Thank you!!
We loved this soup, so rich, creamy and delicious, will definitely be making again soon!