Description
This Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Soup is a favorite of ours on especially chilly days. Broccoli and cauliflower are roasted until lightly caramelized, then get added to a brothy soup base and blended. A mix of nutty Gruyere and sharp white cheddar get added to the pot, along with a swirl of cream, a dash of red pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Then a portion of reserved roasted vegetables gets added in the end along with an optional (but highly encouraged) measure of crispy bacon. This vegetable-forward soup is a hearty and cozy way to keep warm through the cold fall and winter months.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (about 6 cups) broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 lbs (about 6 cups) cauliflower florets
- 12 oz uncured bacon, chopped (may omit for vegetarian)
- 80 g (about 1 cup) green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
- 48 oz (6 cups) chicken broth (may swap for veggie broth if desired)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz (about 1 rounded cup) Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 4 oz (about 1 cup) sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water slurry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F / 220 C. Prep a baker's half sheet with parchment paper and reserve to the side.
- After washing and chopping, make sure that your broccoli and cauliflower florets get a good pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Excess water will steam the vegetables and prevent them from browning and caramelizing properly. Transfer the broccoli and cauliflower to the reserved baking sheet then transfer to the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes.
- While the vegetables roast, cook the bacon. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon. Cook down, stirring often until the rendered fat starts to look slightly foamy with small bubbles and the bacon has browned. Then, using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the bacon to a reserved plate lined with paper towels, leaving the majority of the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Allow the fat to cool slightly, then carefully dispose of all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered fat.
- Once the vegetables have finished roasting, start the soup. In the same pot you just cooked the bacon in, over medium-high heat, cook the green onions and parsley in the reserved tbsp of rendered bacon fat (or olive oil/avocaco oil if preferred) for about 1 minute just so they get a bit of direct heat.
- Add the majority of the roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets to the pot, leaving about 1/6th (about 1 cup) of each vegetable reserved to the side for later. Saute the vegetables in with the rendered bacon fat, green onions, and parsley for a minute or two until coated, then add the chicken broth. Allow the soup to come to a simmer, cooking until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 10-minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and using an immersion blender, blend the veggies and broth to your desired level of smoothness. If you do not have an immersion blender, this can be done in a traditional blender, though you may have to blend in batches.
- Return the soup to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the shredded Gruyere and sharp white cheddar cheeses in handfuls, stirring well between each handful to ensure it melts into the soup evenly. Then add the heavy cream, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg, stirring until well combined. Then add the remaining reserved roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer together for about 5-minutes, stirring often.
- In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and cold water together, whisking with a fork until fully dissolved. Add the slurry to the pot, stirring to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken and allow the newly added roasted broccoli and cauliflower florets to tenderize a bit more.
- You can stir the reserved bacon directly into the soup at this point, or serve on the side to add to bowls as desired. I like to taste for salt and adjust as needed after the bacon has been added rather than before as the bacon adds extra saltiness to the soup. Serve warm with an optional side of sliced baguette or Brown Butter Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
10/12/21 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (with bacon)
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1297 mg
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated Fat: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 119 mg