The BEST Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is a deliciously cheesy vegetable soup packed with broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese. It’s an easy way to get kids to eat more veggies!

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is the perfect recipe for kids. It is packed with nutrition and bursting with flavor. As a Registered Dietitian, I believe this is a great recipe to boost vegetable intake in a delicious way. Get ready to keep this recipe on hand because it is going to be a top requested soup in your home.

A bowl of soup with Broccoli and Cauliflower shot from above

Even better, this recipe is great for kids to learn how to make. My daughter loves to make this recipe with me to pack in her lunchbox thermos. Encourage your kids to follow step-by-step with you (or by themselves if they are old enough!) to create this delicious meal. They will be so proud once they serve their soup!

HOW TO MAKE

Start by gathering the equipment for the recipe and then the ingredients.

Equipment

Cutting board
Knife
Stockpot
Stir spoon
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Medium-sized skillet
Whisk

Start by sautéing the onions in a stockpot.

“Sautéing” is a cooking method that cooks the ingredient(s) quickly in a small amount of oil or fat. For this recipe, you will sauté the onions in olive oil.

Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high and heat for 1 minute. Then, add the diced onion and sauté until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). “Translucent” means that you should be able to almost see through the onions. Stir the onions – watching for your onions to turn from solid white in color to translucent while shrinking in size. The onions will also start smelling sweet because sautéing helps onions develop a sweet flavor.

Next, add the minced garlic to the stockpot and cook with the onions for an additional 1 minute.

Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the stockpot. This recipe requires 2 heads of broccoli and 1 head of cauliflower to be broken into smaller pieces. You can use a measuring cup to measure 5 cups of both the broccoli and cauliflower florets into the stockpot.

Then, add 1 cup of chicken broth to the stockpot.

INGREDIENT SWAP: Swap the chicken broth for 1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup water.

Using chicken or vegetable broth will add more flavor to your soup, but water is a good option if broth isn’t available.

Cover the stockpot with the lid.

Then, steam the vegetables over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes. “Steaming” allows a liquid to heat to a temperature where steam is created, which then cooks the food. In this recipe, the broth creates the steam that cooks the broccoli and cauliflower.

Next, you will add the liquids and spices. To the stockpot, add the rest of the chicken stock, evaporated milk, soy sauce, and pepper.

Bring to a low simmer. When “simmering”, keep the pot at a heat where there are slow bubbles rising to the surface of the broth. If the bubbles are rapidly coming to the surface of the broth, turn the heat to a lower setting.

It is time to make a roux. While the soup is coming to a simmer, make the roux in a separate skillet. I use a medium-sized skillet.

MAKING A ROUX

Mixing fat, flour and liquid together over heat makes a roux. This helps to create a thick & creamy soup.

For this soup recipe, you will use butter as the fat. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in the skillet. Then, whisk in the flour. For the liquid, you will use some hot liquid from the soup. Using a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet. Whisk the liquid into the flour mixture. Repeat adding 1/4 cup of hot liquid 7 more times until you’ve whisked in a total of 2 cups of liquid into the flour mixture.

Broccoli cauliflower soup topped with cheddar cheese in a white stockpot on a granite countertop with a blue dish towel next to the pot.

Now, you will use the homemade roux to thicken the soup. Gently whisk the roux from the skillet into the stockpot filled with soup.

Continue to cook the soup for about 3-4 minutes. During this time, watch for the soup to slowly thicken.

Now for the best part! Add the cheese. Stir the 2 cups of cheese into the soup until completely melted. Then, serve for a weeknight dinner, virtual learning lunch or lunchbox meal.

More Kid-Friendly Soup Recipes

A bowl of soup with broccoli and cauliflower

FAQ

What ingredients do I need for Broccoli Cauliflower Soup?

Olive oil, onion, garlic, chicken broth, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, evaporated milk, butter, flour, soy sauce, ground pepper, and cheddar cheese.

Do I need a blender for this soup recipe?

Nope! You do not need to use an immersion blender, food processor or blender for this recipe. You can puree the soup if you prefer a smoother soup but it is not necessary.

Should I use fresh or frozen broccoli and cauliflower?

Fresh is best for this recipe. If you do choose to use frozen vegetables, thaw before adding to the stockpot.

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

Rate Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is a deliciously cheesy vegetable soup packed with broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese. It's a kid-favorite soup!

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings 8 people

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 32 ounce 2 32 oz. cartons chicken or veggie broth, divided ✅
2 heads broccoli, broked into small pieces about 5 cups
1 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces about 5 cups
15 ounce can evaporated milk ✅
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons gluten-free flour
2-3 tablespoons tamari
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese ✅

Instructions

⭐️Saute the onions. Add olive oil to a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add garlic. Cook an additional 1 minute.
⭐️Steam the broccoli and cauliflower. Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the stockpot. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pot. Cover. Steam over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes.
⭐️Add the liquids and spices. To the stockpot, add the rest of the chicken stock, evaporated milk, soy sauce, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer.
⭐️Make the roux. While the soup is coming to a simmer, make the roux. In a medium-sized skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour. Using a measuring cup, add some hot liquid from the soup into the skillet whisking into the flour mixture. Repeat until you've whisked in about 2 cups of liquid.
⭐️Thicken the soup. Once the soup is at a low simmer, gently whisk the flour-butter mixture into the soup. Continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes.
⭐️Add the cheese. Stir the cheese into the soup until completely melted.

Notes

CCK Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.