Broccoli Soup with Bacon and Cheddar
Soup is one of my favorite things to make during the winter. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than a big bowl of hearty soup next to the fire on a cold winter night… well, unless the bowl is pasta! lol. But anyways, you get my point! Broccoli Cheese soup has been on the top on my list lately but I hate how horrible it is for you and all the bad ingredients restaurants put in it- some recipes can have over 1,000 calories just for one serving- it is nuts! So I decided to come up with a healthy broccoli soup recipe that is still cheesy and flavorful but doesn’t make you feel guilty after eating a bowl or two! This soup can easily be made whole3o or daily free as well if you skip the cheese and greek yogurt. You can even replace the yogurt for coconut milk if you still want that creamy texture without the dairy- and you don’t even taste the coconut! I personally believe some dairy in your diet is good for you, but you do YOU! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Happy Holidays!
Broccoli Soup with Bacon and Cheddar
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 35m
- Total Time: 45m
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets, about 4 cups
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets, about 2 cups
- 1 russet potato, skinned and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 4 c chicken broth
- 1/4 c non-fat greek yogurt
- 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated plus more for topping
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven cook the bacon until just crispy over medium heat. This should take about 6- 8 minutes. When the bacon is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the bacon grease behind in the pan.
- Sauté the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat in the remaining bacon fat. Cook the vegetables until translucent, about 8 minutes. When the vegetables are almost tender, add in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
- Next, add in the broccoli, cauliflower and potato chunks. Let them sauté with the other veggies for 2 minutes then add the broth to the pot.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer for 25- 30 minutes until the potatoes and other veggies are fork tender.
- Turn off the heat and puree the soup. I like to use an immersion blender to puree everything right in the pot but you can do this in batches in a blender as well.
- When the soup is smooth, stir in the cheddar and greek yogurt. If the soup is too thick at this point you can also add some chicken broth to thin it out. Taste the soup to see if you need any additional salt or pepper.
- To serve: ladle1 cup of soup in a bowl. Top the soup with a tablespoon cheddar, dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved bacon. Enjoy!
xo, Rachel
Click below to shop all products from this post!
