Low-Carb soups don't seem like they should be that hard. But thickeners and fillers tend to be flour, cornstarch, pasta, potatoes, and rice. One of my favorite soups is broccoli and cheddar soup. Perfecting a soup like broccoli soup without flour or cornstarch is hard. Here it is finally. Low-Carb Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is creamy and satisfying all while being low-carb and keto-friendly with lots of cheese and cream to up the fat with xanthan gum to thicken the soup. This soup was so good, and the leftovers were perfect for lunch.
Keto Broccoli Cauliflower soup is the low-carb version of cheddar and broccoli soup with the help of cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and xanthan gum to make the broccoli and cauliflower come together for a creamy low-carb soup. Top off with shredded cheddar-jack cheese and even some bacon to make this soup even more flavorful.
Low-Carb Broccoli Cauliflower and Cheese Soup Ingredients
This soup has all the traditional ingredients but several substitutions to keep the soup low-carb. It should be easy to make this recipe if you have a lot of the low-carb staples in your pantry.
To make this low-carb broccoli soup, you will need these ingredients.
- Butter - The base of all good soup recipes is butter.
- Onions - Minced onions add a ton of flavor. Onions can carry sugars so you will want to keep the onions to a minimum.
- Garlic - Fresh minced garlic is ideal
- Celery - Fresh stalks of celery give this soup a great crunch.
- Broth - Chicken broth is a must. I prefer to use Better Than Bouillon - Roast Chicken over just broth.
- Broccoli - Fresh or frozen broccoli can work for this broccoli and cheese soup.
- Cauliflower - As with broccoli, frozen or fresh cauliflower is fine to use in this soup recipe.
- Cream Cheese - Blocks of cream cheese are staples in keto soup recipes, no different in this keto broccoli soup recipe.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Since milk is higher in carbs than heavy whipping cream, this is why HWC is necessary for this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese - For both the flavor and salt, parmesan cheese is a must use to give this soup recipe lots of flavors.
- Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack Cheese - Colby-Jack cheese will give a more mild flavor to the soup
- Thickener - Since using flour or cornstarch is not allowed on keto diets, Xanthan Gum helps thicken this low-carb soup.
- Water
- Salt and Pepper
I know the list seems long, but it really is pretty easy to make and won't be as hard as you think.
How to Make Crock Pot Low-Carb Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
To make this soup in the crock pot, you are still going to need to use your stovetop for cooking the onion, garlic, and celery to maximize the flavor. Start by putting butter, diced onions, garlic, and diced celery into a stockpot over medium heat.
Saute the onions, celery, and garlic until they begin to caramelize. Stir in the roasted chicken Better Than Bouillon. Then add the broccoli and cauliflower florets to the stockpot. Cover with two cups of water and cook for 5 minutes to begin the cooking process and then transfer to the crock pot. In the crock pot, prep the heavy whipping cream and the cream cheese. When you pour the broccoli and cauliflower over the top of the cream and cream cheese, also add two cups of water. Salt and pepper the broccoli and cauliflower and stir to combine with the cream. Cook in the crock pot for four hours on low.
When the soup is done cooking the broccoli and cauliflower should mash easily with a potato masher or my favorite kitchen utensil, the meat mix and chop. Work your way through the soup to break down the broccoli and cauliflower. Then get ready to add the cheese.
I use both colby-jack and parmesan in this cheesy broccoli soup recipe. You are welcome to use cheddar or even cheddar jack cheese if you like a sharper cheese.
Stir the cheeses into the soup and move the crock pot to low or even warm to keep. When the cheese melts you are ready to serve. If the soup is too runny for you, add some xanthan gum to thicken it. I would recommend adding a half teaspoon at a time. A little goes a long way.
Top the soup off with more shredded cheese.
If you are looking to get some meat into the soup you can go ahead and top off with some bacon crumbles.
Tips for Making Low-Carb Soups
- Use full-fat ingredients. Low-carb dairy products tend to have higher carb counts. Go for the full-fat dairy.
- Watch for added sugar. Many seasonings are made with sugar in them. Read the ingredients in your seasoning mixes. If sugar is added to them, use the individual seasonings instead of a premade mix.
- Don't overdo the garlic and onions. Both garlic and onions can carry more carbs than we think. Don't put too many in the soup.
- Thicken with xanthan gum. If you want a thicker soup, don't reach for the flour or cornstarch. Go for the xanthan gum, but note it can get gummy. A little goes a long way.
Keto Soup Recipes
Instant Pot Low-Carb Taco Soup
Low-Carb Creamy Tomato Sausage Soup
Crock Pot Low-Carb Chicken Tortilla Soup
Crock Pot Low-Carb Taco Soup - Keto Taco Soup
๐ Recipe
Low Carb Crock Pot Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon - Roasted Chicken
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups shredded colby jack cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup bacon crumbles
- xanthan gum as needed
Instructions
- Dice up the celery, onions, and garlic. Put in a dutch oven or saucepan with butter over medium-high heat. Stir to caramelize for 4-5 minutes until edges of vegetables start to brown. Stir in the Better than Bouillon.
- Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower florets and cover with one cup of water. Put the lid on and steam for 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- To make this in the crock pot, pour the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese into the crock pot. Then pour the dutch oven of vegetables into the crock pot. Pour water into the crock pot until the broccoli and cauliflower are covered. Cook on low for four hours.
- To make on the stovetop, after five minutes add the cream cheese to the pot, stir to combine with the broccoli and cauliflower. Pour the cream and more water into the pot and be sure the vegetables are covered. Put the lid on and cook for 30 minutes on low. Stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom of the pan isn't burning.
- When the cooking time is up, use a potato masher or mix and grind tool to chop up the broccoli and cauliflower.
- Stir in two cups of the colby jack cheese and one cup of parmesan cheese. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted.
- If the soup is too runny for your liking, use xanthan gum to thicken. Use one teaspoon at a time until you get the thickness of your liking.
- Top with additional cheese and bacon crumbles.
Nutrition
Shared on Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday
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