Broccoli, Bean & Cheddar Cheese Soup

by Liz on January 3rd, 2010

It snowed again in Boston today, and even though we’re just a few days into the new year, I’ve already lost count of the inches. After a morning of shoveling followed by a brisk walk through my neighborhood turned winter wonderland, I decided we could all use a steamy bowl of homemade soup.

Having returned late the night before from a family ski trip to New Hampshire, I didn’t have too many ingredients to work with. Luckily, the simple recipe I created — inspired by my 11-year old’s plea for broccoli soup (he loves the Cheesy Broccoli Soup recipe from our cookbook on page 116) and a recipe from Eating Well magazine for Broccoli, Cannellini Bean & Cheddar Soup, our meal was on the table in a matter of minutes.

Broccoli, Bean & Cheddar Cheese Soup

Makes 6 Servings (6 cups total)

The beans add a “creamy” consistency to the soup … along with fiber and antioxidants!

  • One 32-ounce container all-natural vegetable broth
  • One 16-ounce bag frozen chopped broccoli
  • One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Croutons, optional

1. Place the broth in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the broccoli, beans, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper, cover, and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked, about 8 minutes.

2. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or let cool slightly, transfer to a blender, and puree in batches (puree VERY WELL so there aren’t any lumps in the soup). Place the soup back in the saucepan over low heat. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and top with croutons as desired.

Print Recipe

If I make this soup again, which I probably will, I may toss in a shredded carrot for a hint of sweetness and some extra nutrition. But then again, with two veggies already — broccoli and beans — this soup is already packed with great nutrition. As for my boys’ reaction, they said they’d definitely eat it again (which I consider a mealtime success).

| |
13 Comments | Filed Under Beans, Lunch, Soups/Stews, Vegetables, Vegetarian 

13 Responses to “Broccoli, Bean & Cheddar Cheese Soup”

  1. nancy dolan on January 4th, 2010

    looks delicious. great for a wintery day.

  2. Maria on January 4th, 2010

    I am loving soup right now. This one looks wonderful!

  3. Gelareh @ Orange Truffle on January 5th, 2010

    Congrats on being a finalist for Corinne’s challenge…

  4. Colleen on January 10th, 2010

    LOVE the new feature that allows you to print just the specific recipe from the blog!!!!!!!

  5. The Meal Makeover Moms on January 11th, 2010

    Thanks Colleen. We need go back through our old blog posts to add this new feature but it’s nice not to have to cut and paste recipes any more!

  6. Judy on January 14th, 2010

    My son recently was found to be dairy intolerant. Do you think this recipe could be made with soy cheese and still taste good? I know that the texture of soy cheese is not quite the same as regular cheese. Thanks so much.

  7. The Meal Makeover Moms on January 14th, 2010

    Hi Judy: Check out the “vegan” cheeses from Galaxy. They don’t contain any dairy (i.e. casein). Here’s a link: http://www.galaxyfoods.com/Products/VeganCheese/

  8. angiebean on January 15th, 2010

    I love, love, love Broccoli cheese soup but never eat it because how bad it is for you. I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks yummy!

  9. Michelle on February 12th, 2010

    This recipe was easy, fast and tasty and only dirtied one pot and the blender stick. Easy to have the ingredients on hand too. If you need a nutritional meal in a hurry or a starter with minimal fuss, this is it.

  10. Margie on February 19th, 2010

    Made the soup with peas and parm in place of broccoli and cheddar. Thanks for the inspiration.

  11. Family Meal Planning: 12 Tips for Getting Dinner on the Table Fast on February 26th, 2010

    [...] pre-shredded reduced fat cheeses, and jarred pasta sauce and salsa. We recently posted a fast broccoli & bean soup recipe to our blog that busy moms can have on the table in [...]

  12. Keeping Life Creative » Blog Archive » Meal Planning Monday on February 26th, 2010

    [...] Broccoli, Bean, and Cheddar Soup, rolls [...]

  13. Keeping Life Creative » Blog Archive » Day 46: Broccoli, Bean, & Cheddar Soup on February 26th, 2010

    [...] work and it was snowing all day so we hung around home, played games, watched movies, and I made this creamy broccoli soup for lunch. It’s been on my meal plan for a couple of weeks now, but for [...]

Leave a Reply