Soup has always been one of my favorite foods, and I don’t mean homemade. I’m talking Progresso canned chicken noodle soup! Crazy, I know, but it’s always been a comfort for me, especially in the winter! However, after going keto I knew that had to change. Not only did I cut back on all the processed foods I ate, but I upped the fat 10-fold. My new favorite soup is this Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
The recipe is as simple as it sounds. You’re two main ingredients are broccoli and cheddar cheese. Anything else is just added to your liking. I’m a fan of celery and onion, so I went that route! Most low-carb soup recipes such as this one are minimal in their ingredient list which make them so great for the whole family. This one takes less than 30 minuets to whip up!
Low Carb Soup
Low-carb doesn’t mean low in flavor. Most low-carb soups are packed with flavor and fat so you’re not missing out on the noodles, rice or beans! Check out the 50 Best Low-Carb Soup Recipes if you can’t take my word for it! Believe it or not, low-carb soups are some of the most easy keto recipes!
Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup: Low Carb Thickener
Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what I used to make this Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup as thick as it is. Well, the magic ingredient, or better yet the X factor as we’ve been known to call it is xanthum gum! If you don’t have some in your cupboard, we highly recommend it. We’ve also used it in our Low Carb Green Bean Casserole and Keto Gravy which are two must make recipes! If you don’t love soup surely someone in your family does so give this Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe a try!
Search “KetoConnect – Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup” on MyFitnessPal
Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Broccoli
- 5 oz Cheddar Cheese
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp xanthan Gum
- 1/4 cup Onion
- 1/4 cup celery
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- salt/pepper
Instructions:
- Cut up broccoli into pieces, as small or as big as you’d like and set aside.
- Add butter, onion, celery, salt and pepper to a sauce pan and cook until onions and celery are translucent.
- Add broccoli and cook for additional 2-3 minutes or until broccoli turn bright green.
- Add chicken broth and heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to simmer and slowly add the cheese mixing as you add.
- Once fully incorporated add anthem gum and stir until soup thickens.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
HOLY COW!!! This was beyond incredible…found the recipe online while at work…ran by grocery store on my way home …and within 30 minutes of walking in my house this soup was thick, rich and delicious! I added a bit of pepper jack cheese to the cheddar only because I had a bit in my fridge…this is as good if not BETTER than my favorite broccoli & cheddar soup from a local deli…will be making this often! Thanks!!!
If i don’t have xanthum gum, can I go without or is there anything I can substitute it with?
The xanthan gum is what we use as the thickening agent, so as long as you’re happy with the consistency you shouldn’t need it.
This was so yummy. I also made some keto bread and made a turkey sandwich to go along with it. Yummy comfort food. I did put a little more cheese in it, because I love cheese!Will definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer
Love this recipe. The only change I made was using Yancy Buffalo Wing cheddar. It added a bit of a kick to it. This recipe is certainly worth trying and will probably end up in your short list. Crunched up unflavored pork rinds are a nice addition.
Has anyone tried freezing this? I am looking for recipes that I can freeze into portion sizes and pull out on a cold raining day.
I’m curious about this as well. Did you get an answer or try freezing it?
You can freeze it for sure!
How brilliant of you to think of adding xanthum gum as a thickener for soup. This recipe was AWESOME. I added chicken and it made a complete dinner meal all by itself.
Chicken is a gerat addition! I will definitely be doing that next time! Thanks for the feedback
I added chicken and bacon.
How should we store the remaining two servings?
We store it in a Tupperware container in the fridge.
I have a sensitivity to xanthan gum, can I substitute glucomannan?
We’ve never used it, but it would work as a thickener.
I use cream cheese in literally everything to thicken soups and casseroles and omit heavy cream too. Just an idea.
Thanks for the tip!
Just made this tonight and love it! I ended up using guar gum and it worked just fine. I’m thinking that some bacon may also add some extra flavor and fat. 🙂
Bacon is a great idea, and we haven’t had the chance to mess around with guar gum! We will definitely be getting some soon!
So this is an excellent recipe1 The only issue I had was that some of the cheese would stick to the spoon, both when stirring and when eating. Do you have any recommendations in order to prevent that in the future?
Thanks!
Hmm, sorry to hear that. A bit more broth or a little less xanthan gum should do the trick!
I read in a similar recipe that adding the cheese while the soup is very hot will cause it to freeze up. Maybe that’s what happened? I cooled mine down by adding broth that I kept aside at the beginning.
My cheese didn’t incorporate either 🙁 I followed the recipe exactly. Not sure what happened?
Sometimes when you use pre-shredded cheese from a bag it won’t melt as well because it is coated with an anti-caking agent which helps it not stick together in the bag. To avoid this, buy the blocks of cheese and shred them at home with a cheese shredder/grater.
This soup turned out amazing. My non-Keto boyfriend loved it. I will definitely be making this again.
Glad you liked it!
Made this just now and my family LOVES it! Thank you!
Broccoli and cheese soup is a staple in our household during the winter months. We make it with Stilton (or any blue cheese) rather than cheddar though.
Forgot to mention, thank you for adding it to fitness pal for easy tracking! Much appreciated ?
Great recipe! Made it for dinner tonight. Didn’t use thickener, just used hand blender to purée about half of it, thinner version is still dee-lish. I also added some kale stalks I had (left over from making kale chips)…just chopped them up & threw them in. Topped with chopped spring onion & a few small peices of raw broccoli for some crunch???
Hi,
Are you familiar with Arrow root? Can it replace the anthem gum? Is it Keto friendly? I have seen it in some recipes but not sure if I can use it for keto recipes.
Thanks!!
Yes, it is keto friendly and can replace Xanthan Gum. I’m not sure of the ratio though.
Hi, arrowroot is not generally keto as it comes from a root vegetable and is a starch.
In small amounts I am sure it would be fine as long as the carb count isn’t too high and you are tracking them.
Hi Ana, I’ve been using Arrowroot for years because I am actually allergic to corn. It’s pretty much a 1:1 substitution for xanthan gum, just give it a little more time to thicken. I made this recipe using it and it works totally fine!
I have found that arrowroot works better then xanthan gum. Xanthan leaves a slimy texture to me. Arrowroot works perfectly and the amount used is minimal and has about the same carb count.
you can replace Xanthan gum 1-1 ratio with ground flax seeds, it works great I just tried it this morning in a keto bread recipe and it turned out delicious!
Do you think I can sub arrowroot starch for the xanthum gum?
Yes, that should work! I’d look up and see what the ratio for that substitution would be.
How can we figure out the correct ratio to replace to xanthan gum with arrowroot?
Where do you purchase xanthum gum?
I love your recipes – I found you by accident a few days ago, and loving it!
SHerri
We get ours on amazon!
They sell it at the Whole Foods store
I get mine at Walmart. It’s NOT where you would expect it to be (near corn starch) in my Walmart.
?
Walmart has Xanthum Gum, by the small packets of yeast. It’s in a packet just like that.
I bought mine for pennies at the local bulk food store. I just filled an emptied spice jar.
I got Xanthan gum at Sprouts
You can get xantham gum at target. It’s Bobs red mill for around $10 for the bag at my local one.
in preparing broccoli cheddar soup can i add psyllium husk for the thickener
Eh, not sure about that one. It won’t thicken as well as xanthan gum, so you would probably need significantly more. I’ve never used psyllium husk as a thickener.
Lolly, you can omit the xanathan gum and ads 2-3oz of cream cheese and will be a thick soup. It worked for me.
I also use cream cheese to thicken my recipes. Works great!
Thanks so much for this tip! Last time I made this soup my boyfriend and myself loved it, but the xantham gum tears his stomach apart. Will try cream cheese this weekend!