I’m not ready for soup weather to be over yet
Though Portland only got a smattering of snow this year and I have fully eaten through every box of holiday shortbread in the house, I am still perfectly content to stay in winter hibernation mode just a little while longer. Let’s enjoy the blankets, slippers, and warm mugs of tea while the weather still demands them. I’m not ready to transition from comfort food to lighter, crisper dishes just yet. I just want to eat soup, thankyouverymuch. This Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is my gentle reminder that spring doesn’t officially start until March 20th so it’s ok if you want to go back inside and cuddle up just a little bit longer.
Roasted veggies > all other veggies
Though I may be in the minority concerning the cold weather air, one thing I believe we can all agree on is that roasting vegetables makes them taste about 500 x better than boiling, blanching, or steaming them ever could. There’s something extra delicious about the flavor vegetables take on when you roast them until they start to brown and caramelize, and the roasted broccoli and cauliflower in this soup are no exception.
I like to dry roast the vegetables for this Broccoli Cauliflower Soup because I don’t think that coating them in oil does much for them other than to make them taste of roasted oil. Let the veggies do all the heavy lifting in the roasting process for maximum flavor.
Cheesy goodness
The other thing I love about this Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is that it’s chock full of cheese. I prefer to use a mix of gruyere and extra sharp white cheddar in this soup. The blend of these two sharp cheeses offers tangy, salty, and somewhat nutty flavors to the dish which I think pair best with the creaminess of the cauliflower.
Flexibly vegetarian
You’ll note in the photos and recipe card that bacon is present, but this is totally optional. I generally cook the bacon separately, and allow people to garnish their bowls with it if they wish. If you are decidedly carnivorous, I like to use the rendered fat from cooking the bacon to make this dish extra rich. However, if you prefer a completely vegetarian dish this soup is absolutely delicious in it’s purely bacon-free form. In this case, my favorite alternative cooking fat is avocado oil.
Blending
I use an immersion blender to add creaminess to this Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, the roasted veggies can be quickly pulsed in a traditional blender or food processor instead. We’re looking for a mixture of creamy and chunky textures that make this soup feel so much more indulgent than it is.
Looking for an upgrade to your kitchen tools? Check out my shop page here for my must have kitchen tools and other Whip & Wander favorites.
A note for special diets
This Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is grain-free, gluten-free, low-lactose and friendly for Keto diets. The net carb count per serving is 7g. The sharp, aged cheeses that I chose for this dish naturally contain only trace amounts (0.5 grams or less per serving of cheese) of lactose, making this SIBO friendly as well.
Print
Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup
- Prep Time: 6 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 6 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews, Mains
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 5 cups cauliflower florets
- 8 oz uncured bacon (optional)
- 1 tbsp rendered bacon fat (or 1 tbsp avocado oil for vegetarian)
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups half & half (I prefer this lactose-free one)
- 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).
- Roast broccoli florets and cauliflower florets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner for 25-30 minutes, turning once with a spatula after 15 minutes.
- Cook bacon directly in your large soup pot, if you choose to use it in this recipe. Crumble and set to the side. Retain 1 tbsp rendered bacon fat in the soup pot. Or, if you are making the vegetarian version of this soup, substitute the rendered bacon fat with 1 tbsp avocado oil.
- Saute green onions and parsley in the cooking fat (bacon or avocado oil) over medium-high heat for 1 minute, just to get a little direct heat on them.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot as well as a divided 4 cups of the roasted broccoli and 4 cups of the roasted cauliflower, reserving the remaining 1 cups of each to the side for later.
- Simmer over medium high-heat until veggies are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the veggies and broth to your desired level of smoothness. I like to leave mine somewhat chunky, but it’s up to your own preference. If you do not have an immersion blender, this can be done in a traditional blender or food processor too.
- Return soup to medium-high heat. Add half & half, white cheddar, and gruyere cheese. Mix to combine.
- Once the cheese has melted, return the reserved roasted broccoli and cauliflower back to the pot.
- Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
- Allow to simmer together for 10-15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed.
- Serve warm with reserved bacon crumbles on top, if desired. I also like to add a sprinkle of additional cheese and parsley on top if there’s extra.
Notes
Nutrition facts for vegetarian version of Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower soup WITHOUT bacon. Using 1 tbsp avocado oil in place of rendered bacon fat.
cal: 280, fat: 19g, chol: 50mg, sod: 808mg, carb: 12g, fib: 5g, sug: 5g, pro: 16g
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe using bacon
- Calories: 409
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1273 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
This soup looks so yummy! And with two of my favorite ingredients: broccoli and cauliflower. Can’t go wrong!
★★★★★
Soup looks so hearty and delicious! I love broccoli soup and I love cauliflower soup. This is the best of two worlds together. Love this!
★★★★★
Oh this soup is so hearty and flavorful!!!!
★★★★★
This was AMAZING. Roasting the veggies beforehand = brilliant.
★★★★★
I love that you use both broccoli and cauliflower in your soup, mine is normally one or the other (ha!) I will be making your version next time I need to whip one up! And I am TOTALLY with you on the cheese, the more the merrier,
We love making separate versions of this as well, but I thought it would be fun to blend the two flavors. It’s all the richness from the roasted broccoli and the creaminess of the cauliflower that makes this so good!
I love this roasted broccoli and cauliflower soup perfect and creamy great for cold and rainy days. I love the addition of bacon.
★★★★★
This soup is absolutely divine, so much flavor! A new favorite at our house!
★★★★★
Hey Portland may get some snow Monday – I’m in Portland, too! I’m actually hoping for it because I would LOVE a late Feb. snow day so I can make a soup like this and snuggle up. This recipe sounds great!!
★★★★★
It keeps melting (dang it!) but the cold weather still makes me want to stay inside with a big pot of soup!
What an interesting combination! I bet roasting the two veggies first really brings out the flavors. And to tell you the truth, we love our soup and we’re perfectly content having it year round. I haven’t tried your combination but it looks so good I have to try it. We’re almost out of our present pot of soup — will be making yours next.
★★★★★
I really hope you do, Marisa! I love how much flavor is brought out just by the simple step of roasting the veggies!
I love broccoli soup, but I’ve neve made a roasted broccoli cauliflower soup! I only can immagine how good it tastes!
★★★★★
This soup looks amazing!
I have made roasted broccoli soup, adding cauliflower is simply brilliant. I’m gonna try this the next time i make broccoli soup. This is brilliant recipe, thanks for sharing
★★★★★
I hope you love the cauliflower! It adds a nice creaminess to the soup.
I think I have everything to make this today – perfect for a snow day! and I completely agree, roasted veggies > all other veggies. 🙂
★★★★★
Sounds like you know what you’re making for dinner then. I hope you love it!
It couldn’t be a more perfect day to make this in Portland! I even already have the ingredients, so I know what’s for dinner tonight!
Sounds like a fortuitous plan! I hope it warms you up in this cold weather!
With it snowing in Portland today, I am so ready for this soup! Also, I love roasting veggies before turning them into soup – the extra step really brings out lovely flavors.
★★★★★
Roasting really makes all the difference! I hope the cold weather sticks around long enough that you get to make a pot of this!
I ONLY roast or grill veggies. Brings out the natural sweetness. This soup sounds amazing. Homemade soup is SOOO good. You can’t get this out of a can or a box from the store.
★★★★★
I totally agree with you, Gloria! This flavor can never be replicated in a can or box!
Variations of broccoli soup have been huge in our house this winter. I haven’t tried one that include cauliflower too and this looks so delicious! I’ll be giving it a try for sure 🙂
I’m glad to hear it! We love variations of broccoli soup at my house too, but this is one of my favs!
Soup season is never over for me as I eat it year round! And boy, I’m glad because now that I found your delicious soup, I want to make it asap!
★★★★★
I hope you do, Elaine. It’s such a good one to warm up with!
Yum! This looks so delicious and creamy! I love that you added some bacon on top too!
★★★★★
The one good thing about this cold weather is soup! This looks so hearty and delicious, I love the bacon on top too!
★★★★★
Roasting the vegetables does make it extra tasty! Love the combination of both cauliflower and broccoli. For me vegetarian option, with e.v.o. oil 😊
★★★★★
This soup looks so creamy and delicious! I bet the flavors are amazing! I will have to make this one soon! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
Was hoping Soup season would be close to over now but I’m still needing all of it. So this one will do just fine!!!
★★★★★
I’ve not tried making soup with a combination of broccoli and cauliflower. This looks interesting thou so I’m giving it a shot for dinner on Monday. I’m sure the Bacon and cheese would take it to the next level
★★★★★
Broccoli soups are my absolute favorite ! I have never tried roasting it before making the soup.
★★★★★
I always have a little jar with bacon fat in the fridge and oftentimes forget about it! This soup comes at the perfect time! The smokiness of bacon goes so well with the sweetness of cauliflower! LOVE
★★★★★
Haha, I AM ready for soup weather to be over, but it’s snowing right now. I love cold-ish weather (and HATE hot weather) but I walk 3 miles each way to work and walk my children to preschool/daycare, and all these days of highs in the single digits is just TOO MUCH. I cannot wait for a few weeks with highs in the upper 40s or 50s. (But since soup weather appears to be sticking around for a while, I’ll add this to the menu for next week!)
Yum!!! This soup is exactly what I crave all winer in soup form :). Thanks so m much for sharing!
A few things: roasted veggies. Rendered bacon fat. Bacon topping. Honestly, this is a soup I can sip for days. Really really great recipe! Giving it 5 stars
★★★★★
This looks like a delicious soup and I don’t want soup weather to be over yet too! I think soup can be enjoyable at any time of the year as long as you use some seasonal ingredients 🙂
★★★★★
Can I substitute milk for the half and half? If so, how much should I use? Thanks!
Yes, you should be able to sub in for milk. In order to make sure that the soup is nice and thick, I would probably decrease the broth by 2 cups to start out with and then add more as needed. If you’d like to thicken further, you can make a slurry of 1 tbsp arrowroot powder with room temperature (not hot or it will clump) broth. Once dissolved completely, you can add it to the soup to thicken.
Does this soup freeze well ?
Yes, however, because it is dairy-based there is likely to be some separation of liquid and solid. This can be remedied by defrosting then reheating over medium heat on the stove. If needed, you can add a splash or two of more half & half or milk at this time. As this recipe contains broccoli and cauliflower you will see a further breakdown of these vegetables when defrosting and reheating as well, but because much of this soup is pureed with an immersion blender already, I think that this is still quite nice defrosted and reheated.