Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Greek Yogurt (High Protein)
Craving something warm and creamy? Try this healthy comfort food recipe for Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup that’s a high protein soup. It rates close to Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup but is cheaper, easy to make, and much healthier!
My Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup vs Panera’s
Soups can be a great choice to get a lot of healthy nutrition because they often contain a lot of vegetables that are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, this often isn’t the case when we buy them from stores or restaurants.
Is Panera broccoli cheddar soup healthy?
Store-bought soups are often overloaded with sodium, strange additives, and don’t usually have enough protein or fiber. That’s the case with the Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It’s not exactly brimming with nutrition.
Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Nutrition
Panera’s take on this soup has a whopping 1680 mg of sodium and compare it to a homemade version like mine that only has 865 mg of sodium. Making the healthier homemade recipe listed below cuts the sodium in half!
Additionally, Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup only provides about half the protein in my Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup made with Greek yogurt and bone broth to pack a protein punch. One serving of the healthy broccoli cheddar soup recipe has 21 grams of protein compared to Panera’s soup with 13 grams of protein.
Homemade Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
The best part of making your own soups is that you are in control of the ingredients going in. With this recipe you can choose to use a low-sodium broth and then sprinkle in salt to taste.
Protein Ingredients
- Greek yogurt
- Bone broth
- And, of course, cheddar cheese
- Optional add-ins: add shredded cooked chicken or chopped bacon to the soup after pureeing
Even if you use regular chicken broth or stock instead of bone broth, each serving still contains 15 grams of protein. I like to encourage my clients to aim for at least 30 grams of protein at every meal. So be sure to amp up your meal with a little extra protein to meet that goal. You can top your bowl of soup with some Greek yogurt and/or some additional cheese. You could also consider adding meat if you’d like. I’d recommend cooked chicken or bacon. Yum!
Healthy Comfort Food
This soup makes for a great creamy, healthy comfort food. Often it’s a favorite of children because of it’s rich flavor and creamy texture. It’s something you as a parent can feel great about because it is secretly loaded with a ton of nutritious veggies! Consider adding in more if your family won’t argue. Some great additions would be carrots, chopped spinach, or chopped basil.
How to Make This 30 Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Here is a simple overview of the steps to make this soup in just 30 minutes:
- Saute the garlic and onions.
- Add the broccoli, potatoes, and spices and simmer in the broth.
- Add the Greek yogurt and puree the soup (can leave some chunks if you want chunkier soup).
- Stir in the cheese until melted and combined.
- Serve with your toppings of choice!
Soup Toppings
This soup can be dressed up with some beautiful additional toppings like:
- red pepper flakes,
- a splash of olive oil,
- a dollop of Greek yogurt, and/or
- some chopped herbs like basil or parsley.
Can You Freeze Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup?
To refrigerate: store in an airtight container for up to four days.
To freeze: Place in freezer-friendly containers or freezer-safe zip bags and freeze flat. You can freeze this soup for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw the soup completely then warm on low heat to prevent curdling.
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Recipe blog written by Jennifer Franzen, RDN | edited & reviewed by Victoria Peck-Gray, RDN
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Greek Yogurt (High Protein)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or butter
- 1 Large Yellow Onion peeled and chopped; or white onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 lb Broccoli fresh; trim away the stalks
- 1 Large Yellow Potato like Yukon Gold
- 24 fl oz Bone Broth or can use chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 4 oz Cheddar Cheese shredded; sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Separate the broccoli stalks from the florets. Rough chop the florets. Finely chop the stalks to make it easier to cook till tender. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the broccoli, potato, broth, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Then cover and cook until the potato mashes easily with a fork, about 15-18 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the yogurt.
- Blend the soup mixture: Either 1) Add the mixture in batches to a blender, or 2) use an immersion blender.
- While the soup is still warm, stir in about 3/4 of the cheese, leaving behind a small amount for garnish. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with remaining cheese, an optional dollop of Greek yogurt, and herbs and spices, like red pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes & Tips
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days. Freeze for up to two months.
- One serving equals approximately 1.5 cups.
- Top with red pepper flakes, a splash of olive oil, chopped basil, chopped spinach, dollop of Greek yogurt, etc.
- Check if your broth contains sodium. If it does, you may want to use less added salt. Feel free to add salt at the end and taste before you do to see how much you prefer.
- Recipe adapted from https://thenaturalnurturer.com/healthy-broccoli-cheddar-soup/ but with adjustments.
Notes
- 378 calories
- 21 grams protein
- 23 grams fat
- 6 grams fiber
- High in Vitamin C & beta-carotene
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