This easy Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup has half of the net carbs as the famous Panera version. Made on the stove-top in a cast-iron Dutch oven, this soup is ready in under 30 minutes. We also give instructions on how to make this in an Instant Pot or slow cooker as well as how to freeze, store, and reheat. This low-carb soup can also be made vegan/dairy-free.
Who doesn't love a big bowl of comforting soup? This Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup is exactly that, comforting. It reminds us of the classic steakhouse or cafe version everyone knows and loves. Below we'll compare our recipe's net carbs to Panera's. Who do you think comes out on top?? 😉
First, let's get to the ins and the outs of the recipe!
Ingredients in Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced (about 200 grams)
- 2 stalks celery, diced (about 84 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups half and half, or heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, to thicken)
- Extra shredded cheddar, to garnish (optional)
How to make Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Heat a 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add butter along with the onion and celery. Cook for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften. Add in the garlic, cayenne pepper and mustard powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth and minced broccoli, bring to a boil. Cook until broccoli is softened, about 15 minutes.
- Add in half and half and cheddar cheese, stir to combine. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, add xanthan gum if using. Whisk well.
- If you’d like a creamier soup, you can use an immersion blender to blend partially or fully. You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender as well.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve immediately.
How to make this keto broccoli cheese soup dairy-free / vegan
If you're lactose intolerant or vegan, we have good news! This recipe can easily be made both low-carb and dairy-free. Here's how:
- Swap the butter for vegan butter, we like Miyokos
- Trade out the half and half for unsweetened plain almond milk
- Swap the cheddar for vegan cheddar, we like Violife
How to make the Broccoli Cheddar Soup thicker
Who doesn't love a thick and creamy soup?! We sure do! We've already written the recipe with xanthan gum which will thicken the soup but you can also choose to blend the soup to make it even thicker.
You have 3 options here:
- Leave the soup as is, don't blend at all - this results in a thick broth but chunky soup as the broccoli will stay whole
- Blend a portion of the soup - perfectly creamy but still with a few chunks of broccoli (this is our choice!)
- Blend all of the soup - the creamiest of the creamiest, no chunks of broccoli as this soup is perfectly smooth (great for kiddos!)
How to make this Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup in an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
If you want to make this soup ahead of time and keep warm, an instant pot or slow cooker are both great options! Follow these instructions below if you want to make this soup this way.
Instant Pot Method
- Place the butter in the Instant Pot and press the saute button. Once hot add in the onion and celery, cook for 3-4 minutes to soften. Add in the spices and stir to combine.
- Cancel the saute function. Add in the remaining ingredients, except cheese and half and half, and place the lid on the pot. Set to manual high pressure for 8 minutes. At the end of the 8 minutes, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes then release the valve.
- Taste for salt and pepper, adding more if necessary. Stir in the half and half and shredded cheese. Use an immersion blender to partially or fully blend the soup if desired.
Slow Cooker Method
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and celery. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened then add in the spices. Cook another 30 seconds then transfer the mixture to your slow cooker.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the half and half and shredded cheese and cover. Set to high 3-4 hours of low for 6-7. With one hour to go, add in the half and half and cheese and stir to combine. Continue to cook for an hour or until the cheese is fully melted.
- Taste for salt and pepper, adding more if necessary. Use an immersion blender to partially or fully blend the soup if desired.
Why does broccoli cheese soup get grainy and/or curdled?
Because the cheese got too hot. Too high of a temperature for too long during cooking will make the cheese seize up instead of melt resulting in a grainy or lumpy soup. No one wants that. The key? Adding in the cheese at the last minute just long enough so that the cheese will melt but not curdle.
How to store leftover broccoli cheese soup
We like to store leftover soup in jars - we like these Weck ones or the classic Mason Jar. You can also use a regular glass storage container like these.
The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup
We like to freeze soup in Stasher Bags or Mason Jars. Stasher bags work great if you often can't remember to thaw the soup that's stored in jars. There's no need to thaw the soup in the Stasher bag as you can just peel it off and pop the block of frozen soup into a pot on the stovetop.
How to reheat broccoli cheese soup
To reheat, you can do a few things:
- If you stored the soup in the Dutch oven you can simply pot it back over medium heat and bring it to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stored in a storage container or jar? Pour the soup into a soup pot and bring it to a simmer for 5 minutes or transfer it to a microwave-safe container and heat it until warmed through.
- If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
After reheating, top with any additional toppings and serve.
Other cheese options than cheddar
Just because cheddar cheese is the traditional cheese used in Broccoli Cheese Soup, that doesn't mean you have to play by the rules, there are no rules!
Love pepper jack? Try it! Smoked gouda is also insanely delicious. Play around, have fun, that's what cooking is all about!
3 ways to put a spin on this Keto friendly Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Bacon! Crispy bacon on top is the bee's knees in this soup!
- Cream cheese! Extra cheesy, extra creamy, a spoonful of cream cheese can make this already cheesy soup a cheese lover's dream come true.
- Prosciutto! Sort of like bacon but fancier and SO good! Try it! You can crisp up prosciutto in the oven or in a skillet. Watch carefully as it gets crispy fast!
Tools we used for this recipe
What to serve with broccoli cheese soup
You can serve this soup as a main dish dinner or you can serve it as a side. Serving it as a side? Try pairing it with our Keto Steak and Greens!
How many carbs does broccoli and cheese soup have? Here's the nutritional information
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe has 8g net carbs per serving. As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card (listed per serving). You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand’s ingredients may have different values.
To get a specific serving size you’ll want to weigh the final dish then divide it by the number of servings. We can’t provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.
Let's compare this keto version to a restaurant version...So, how many carbs does Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup? Per cup, Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup has 17g of total carbs and 2g of dietary fiber leaving you with a total of 15g net carbs. Our low-carb version is less than half that!
Looking for other Keto Soup Recipes? Check these out ↓
- Queso Chicken Soup
- Keto Cheeseburger Soup
- Tikka Masala Soup
- Chile Relleno Soup
- Cabbage Soup with Smoked Sausage
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Curry Soup
- Vietnamese-Inspired Noodle Soup
- Loaded Turnip Soup
- Leftover Turkey Soup
- Bacon and Shrimp Chowder
- Chorizo Chili
- Chipotle Chicken Stew - this recipe is also in our cookbook!
- Turmeric Chicken Soup
Did you make this recipe? We'd love it if you left a star rating and comment below. Also, be sure to tag us @castiron_keto on Instagram if you share a snap of your creations!
📖 Recipe
Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion diced (about 200 grams)
- 2 stalks celery diced (about 84 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups half and half or heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum optional, to thicken
- Extra shredded cheddar to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add butter along with the onion and celery. Cook for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften. Add in the garlic, cayenne pepper and mustard powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth and minced broccoli, bring to a boil. Cook until broccoli is softened, about 15 minutes.
- Add in half and half and cheddar cheese, stir to combine. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, add xanthan gum if using. Whisk well.
- If you’d like a creamier soup, you can use an immersion blender to blend partially or fully. You can also transfer the soup to a regular blender as well.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve immediately.
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