This healthy cauliflower and broccoli soup is creamy, comforting and packed with vegetables. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's an easy family lunch that can be made with fresh or frozen broccoli and cauliflower, and the mature cheddar gives it plenty of flavour without needing loads of cheese.
As a mum of two, soup is one of my favourite ways to get some extra vegetables into family meals without making a big fuss about it and this feels like a hug in a bowl.
This soup is particularly good because everything gets blended until smooth, and I put the toppings on the table so everyone can customise their own bowl. Extra cheese and croutons are always popular in our house! Honestly, anything where my kids can build their own meal almost guarantees they will try something new.
It's also a great fridge-clear-out recipe. You can use the broccoli and cauliflower stalks as well as the florets, make it ahead for lunches and freeze portions for another day.
If you are looking for a simple cauliflower and broccoli soup that is healthy, creamy and family friendly, this is one I make again and again during the colder months.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 19 September 2011 and was updated with new photos in April 2025. It has been fully retested in August 2026 to check the cooking time, consistency and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions and tips.
For a broccoli only option, try my Creamy Broccoli Soup or for just cauliflower, give my Roasted Cauliflower Soup a try.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love It
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Variations
- How To Make Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup
- Fresh or Frozen Broccoli and Cauliflower?
- How to Make This Healthy but Still Creamy
- Make Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup for Kids
- Serving Suggestions
- Soup Toppings
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love It
- Healthy comfort food - It's packed with broccoli and cauliflower, with 5 grams of fibre and 15 grams of protein per serving.
- Ready in under 30 minutes - There is very little hands-on cooking.
- Family friendly - Blending everything until smooth gives it a really creamy texture, and everyone can choose their own toppings.
- Fresh or frozen vegetables - Both work, so this can be a handy freezer meal when there isn't much fresh food in the house.
- Budget friendly - It's a great way to use broccoli and cauliflower that need eating, including the stalks. Using frozen vegetables makes it more budget friendly too.
- Perfect for batch cooking - Make a double batch and freeze portions for quick winter lunches.
Recipe Overview
- Texture - Thick, smooth and creamy.
- Flavour - Mild, savoury and cheesy, with a slightly cauliflower-forward flavour.
- Time - Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 23 minutes; Total: 28 minutes.
- Vegetables - 500g cauliflower and 300g broccoli. Fresh or frozen both work.
- Stock - Use 700ml with fresh vegetables or 520ml with frozen.
- Nutrition per serving - 289 calories; 15g protein; 5g fibre.
- Storage - Fridge: 3-4 days; Freezer: 2-3 months.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Broccoli and Cauliflower - These are the stars of the soup and I recommend weighing them once prepared rather than relying only on "one head". Broccoli and cauliflower vary enormously in size, and the amount you use makes a big difference to both the colour and consistency of the soup. Don't throw the stalks away. Peel away any tough outer parts, chop the tender stalk finely and add it to the pan. It reduces food waste and adds even more vegetables to the soup.
- Onion - You could swap this for shallots if you prefer, and this would give the soup a slightly sweeter taste.
- Garlic - To save yourself some time, use some ready chopped garlic in a jar.
- Cheese - A mature or extra-mature cheddar works particularly well because you get lots of cheese flavour without needing a huge quantity. You could also use: Red Leicester, Parmesan, Gruyère or a little Stilton for a stronger flavour
- Milk - We use skimmed milk, but semi-skimmed or whole milk will all work. Whole milk will make the soup richer, while skimmed keeps it a little lighter.
- Cream - Single cream makes this broccoli and cauliflower soup extra creamy, but it isn't essential. For a lighter version, leave it out or use reduced-fat crème fraîche. The cauliflower itself creates a surprisingly creamy texture once blended, so this still works well without cream.
- Stock - Use a good-quality vegetable stock, as there aren't lots of strong flavours to hide behind here. If making this for babies or younger children, choose a lower-salt stock. Important: The amount of stock controls the final thickness. It is much easier to make a thick soup thinner after blending than rescue one that has become too watery, so don't be tempted to add extra stock too early.
- Salt and Pepper - Generously season.
Variations
Dairy free - Use an unsweetened dairy-free milk and omit the cream and cheese. A little nutritional yeast can add some savoury, cheesy flavour.
Potato - If you want a thicker soup without cream, add one small floury potato, peeled and chopped.
Spice - A pinch of chilli flakes works really well with broccoli and cheese. You could also add smoked paprika
Chunky - Blend only half of the soup for a mixture of creamy soup and soft pieces of broccoli and cauliflower.
How To Make Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup
- Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic for the final minute.
💡 Don't rush the onion. Giving it those few minutes to soften adds more flavour than simply boiling everything together.
- Add the vegetables: Add the chopped cauliflower and broccoli.
If you are using the stalks, chop them smaller than the florets so everything becomes tender at roughly the same time. - Season: Season lightly with salt and plenty of black pepper.
- Add the stock: Pour in the vegetable stock and bring everything to a gentle boil.
- Simmer: Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for around 12-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
You don't want hard pieces left before blending, particularly if you want a really smooth soup.
- Blend: Remove the pan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
For a slightly chunkier broccoli and cauliflower soup, you can blend only three-quarters of it and leave a little texture. - Milk & cream: Stir through the milk and cream, if using.
- Cheese: Add the grated cheddar gradually and stir over a low heat until melted.
- Test: Taste and adjust the seasoning.
💡 Don't vigorously boil the soup once the dairy and cheese have been added, as gentle heat gives you a smoother finish.
Fresh or Frozen Broccoli and Cauliflower?
You can make cauliflower and broccoli soup with frozen vegetables or fresh.
Frozen broccoli and cauliflower are brilliant to keep in the freezer for quick soups, especially during busy weeks when fresh vegetables haven't made it into the shopping basket, and they are usually cheaper too.
There are a couple of differences, however.
Frozen vegetables can release more water as they cook, which means using exactly the same amount of stock can result in a thinner soup.
Fresh version: 500g cauliflower and 300g broccoli + 700ml stock
Frozen version: Same frozen vegetable weight + start with 500-550ml stock
I tested this with 300g frozen broccoli and 500g frozen cauliflower and found 520ml stock gave the best thick and creamy consistency. Blend, then add another 50-100ml only if needed.
How to Make This Healthy but Still Creamy
The trick is that the creamy texture doesn't have to come entirely from cream.
Cauliflower becomes naturally smooth and creamy when blended, while mature cheddar provides plenty of flavour in a relatively small amount.
It's why the cauliflower and broccoli measurements aren't equal. It's more cauliflower heavy because it's creamier.
To keep it lighter you can:
- Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
- Leave out the cream.
- Use a small amount of strongly flavoured mature cheddar.
- Add extra cauliflower for body rather than extra dairy.
- Serve it with a high-fibre bread to make it a more filling lunch.
Make Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup for Kids
As a mum of two, I have learned that sometimes the difference between children being suspicious of a bowl of green soup and actually enjoying it is simply what you put next to it. Or, how you frame it. When my youngest was about 2, he called this "hulk soup".
I keep the base soup fairly simple and let everyone add their own toppings.
If I am making this for the kids, I serve the soup fairly simply and put grated cheese, croutons and bread on the table separately.
I find letting children add their own toppings makes a bowl of green soup considerably more exciting!
Some child-friendly options are:
- Grated cheddar
- Mini croutons
- Toast fingers
- A warm bread roll
- A swirl of yogurt or crème fraîche
- A little grated Parmesan
If your children prefer a very smooth soup, blend it for slightly longer. If they don't mind some texture, reserve a few tiny broccoli florets before blending and add them back afterwards.
Another mum tip: Soup freezes really well in individual portions, so it can be useful to freeze smaller child-sized servings rather than one huge container. I also use this as a pasta sauce with some pesto.
And if you are making this for very young children, use a low-salt stock and season adult portions separately afterwards.
Serving Suggestions
For a light lunch, this soup is delicious with warm crusty bread. Try my Easy White Bread.
If you want to turn it into a more filling family meal, try serving it with:
- Air Fryer Cheese Toastie
- Cheese on toast
- A toasted bagel
- Jacket potato
- Air Fryer Tuna Melt
- A simple cheese savoury sandwich
Soup and a sandwich is one of my favourite easy winter lunches, especially at the weekend when everyone seems to want feeding at a different time.
Soup Toppings
Soup and bread is such a classic combination. But why not take the humble slice of bread and butter up a gear and make your own crunchy croutons? Not just any croutons, but cheesy, herby croutons.
They are so easy to make, and a great way to use up bread that is going a little stale. The perfect addition to cauliflower broccoli soup.
Just take a couple of slices of bread and cut into 1 inch cubes and scatter on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan (or grated cheddar) and sprinkle with dried oregano.
Put them in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4 for around 8 minutes.
Mum tip: Cut some smaller than usual for children. Mini-sized croutons are much easier to scoop up with a spoon than giant restaurant-style ones.
Other soup toppings:
- Grated mature cheddar
- Parmesan
- Crumbled Stilton
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Crispy bacon
- Chopped chives
- A swirl of cream
- Greek yogurt
Storage
Fridge - Allow the soup to cool and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Reheat - Reheat gently on the hob until piping hot. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Freeze - If you want to freeze the soup, put it in an airtight container, leaving a gap of about 1cm (0.5 inch). This will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
The soup may look slightly separated after freezing because of the dairy. Stir it well while reheating and it should come back together.
If you are deliberately making a large batch for the freezer, another option is to freeze the blended vegetable soup before adding the milk, cream and cheese, then add those when reheating.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Weigh the vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower heads vary considerably in size, so using gram weights gives you a much more consistent soup.
- Use the stalks. Chop them smaller than the florets so they soften properly.
- Start with less stock. You can always thin a thick soup after blending, but fixing a watery soup is harder.
- Use mature cheddar. A stronger cheese gives more flavour without needing as much.
- Don't boil it after adding the dairy. Heat it gently once the milk, cream and cheese are added.
- Use an immersion blender if possible. It's easier and considerably less messy than transferring hot soup to a jug blender.
- Taste after adding the cheese. Stock and cheddar can both be salty, so don't add lots of salt at the beginning.
Troubleshooting Guide
|
Problem |
Likely cause |
Fix |
|
Soup is too thin |
Too much stock was added, or frozen vegetables released extra water. |
Simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes to reduce, or blend in some extra cooked cauliflower. When using frozen vegetables, use 520ml stock rather than 700ml. |
|
Soup is too thick |
Your vegetables were larger/drier, or the soup has thickened as it cooled. |
Stir in a little hot stock or milk, about 50ml at a time, until it reaches the consistency you want. |
|
Soup tastes bland |
It needs more seasoning, or the stock/cheese is mild. |
Taste after adding the cheese, then add a little more salt and black pepper if needed. Extra-mature cheddar will also give more flavour without adding lots more cheese. |
|
Soup tastes too strongly of broccoli or slightly bitter |
Too much broccoli was used, or it was cooked for too long. |
Stick to the tested 500g cauliflower to 300g broccoli ratio and cook only until tender. A little extra milk or cream can soften an overly strong broccoli flavour. |
|
Soup looks grainy or has split |
The soup was boiled after adding the milk, cream or cheese, or the cheese was added too quickly. |
Keep the heat low and stir the cheese in gradually. If it has already split, take it off the heat and blend briefly again to help bring it back together. |
|
Soup isn't completely smooth |
The vegetables, particularly the stalks, weren't quite soft enough before blending. |
Return it to the heat and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender. Chop stalks smaller than the florets and blend again. |
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup is packed with vegetables and this recipe provides 5 grams of fibre and 15 grams of protein per serving.
You can make it lighter by leaving out the cream and using skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
Yes. Frozen vegetables work really well in soup and are a useful shortcut because there is almost no preparation.
Because frozen vegetables release more liquid, start with less stock than you would for fresh vegetables. Use 800 grams frozen vegetables and 520 ml stock.
The most common causes are using vegetables with a high water content or adding too much stock.
Start with less stock and add more after blending if needed.
If the soup is already too thin, simmer it gently uncovered to reduce it, or blend in some extra cooked cauliflower.
Add more cauliflower, add a small floury potato while cooking, simmer the soup uncovered or add a little extra cheese.
More Soup Recipes
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Recipe
Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1 Onion - medium; diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 500 g (1 lb) of Cauliflower - chopped
- 300 g (10½ oz) of Broccoli - chopped
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
- 700 ml (2¾ cups) of Vegetable stock
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) of Skimmed milk
- 100 ml (⅖ cups) of Single cream
- 100 g (¾ cups) of Mature cheddar
Instructions
- Soften the onion: Heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat.
- Add 1 Onion (diced) and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add 2 Garlic cloves (crushed) for the final minute.
- Add the vegetables: Add 500 g of Cauliflower and 300 g of Broccoli. If you are using the stalks, chop them smaller than the florets so everything becomes tender at roughly the same time.
- Season: Season with ¼ tsp of Fine sea salt and ½ tsp of Ground black pepper.
- Add the stock: Pour in 700 ml of Vegetable stock and bring everything to a gentle boil, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer: Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for around 12-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender when pierced with a knife. You don't want hard pieces left before blending, particularly if you want a really smooth soup.
- Blend: Remove the pan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. For a slightly chunkier broccoli and cauliflower soup, you can blend only three-quarters of it and leave a little texture.
- Milk & cream: Stir through 300 ml of Skimmed milk and 100 ml of Single cream, if using.
- Cheese: gradually add 100 g of Mature cheddar (grated) and stir over a low heat until melted, around 1-2 minutes.
- Test: Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Recipe Tips
- Weigh the vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower heads vary considerably in size, so using gram weights gives you a much more consistent soup.
- Use the stalks. Chop them smaller than the florets so they soften properly.
- Start with less stock. You can always thin a thick soup after blending, but fixing a watery soup is harder.
- Use mature cheddar. A stronger cheese gives more flavour without needing as much.
- Don't boil it after adding the dairy. Heat it gently once the milk, cream and cheese are added.
- Use an immersion blender if possible. It's easier and considerably less messy than transferring hot soup to a jug blender.
- Taste after adding the cheese. Stock and cheddar can both be salty, so don't add lots of salt at the beginning.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Dionne says
This is exactly the type of soup that I make every time I want something warm and comforting. Yum!
Claudia Lamascolo says
What a marriage made in heaven in a soup they compliment each other perfectly!
Vicky says
Oh MY goodness, this is just amazing!! I love creamy soups and the flavors here are absolutely fabulous!!! Can not wait to make this ASAP!
Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter says
You had me at cheesy and creamy! This soup is just right for this cold weather. And I love those croutons - they add so much texture to the soup!
Sharon Chen says
This soup looks so hearty and yummy. Perfect for the cold weather!
Jess says
This is so creamy. I love the combo of broccoli and cauliflower.
Natalie says
Broc and cauli? Oh wow, sooo good! I must make this soup NOW! Love added cheddar inside.
Kushigalu says
One of the best soup combo. a total comfort food. Thanks for sharing.
Gina says
We love this recipe with a little kick of spice added to it for a veggie filled comforting dinner!
Caitlyn Erhardt says
This was so warm and comforting, plus everyone loved it!
Danielle Wolter says
I just love soups like this where you can get your servings of veggies. Plus, it came out delicious and was easy to make!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Perfect comfort food and I like that it's easy to make too.
Adrianne Erica Jean Jamieson says
This soup is so veggie packed, I love it! All that nutrition in one bowl, yum!!
aliZa says
It looks blended, but that’s not mentioned as a step...it is, yes?
Dannii says
Sorry, yes, it should say and then blend :)
Rebekah Stine says
Made this soup last night! I added some garlic and a little cayenne pepper. I also used two cans of chicken broth and then filled the pot with water. The soup tastes amazing!