This roasted broccoli cheddar soup is better than Panera. Yep – I said it!
For some reason I had a taste for broccoli cheddar soup and I knew once upon a time I made one. I did. You can find the shitty food photography here.
Back then though, I really tried to get the LOWEST points on every single recipe. I’d add the recipe into the WW builder and tweak the recipe until I got the points as low as possible. Was the food I made tasty? Yep, but I’ve realized I am willing to spend a few more points to get the recipe just right.
Can you roast vegetables in an air fryer?
I found out yes you can! I made this soup on my lunch break. The vegetables air fried while I was working – one of the many perks of working from home. I loved the charred bits on the broccoli.
My daughter Hannah used to work at Panera and I was so jealous that she’s have a job where she could cook all day. I literally had visions of her in the back of the shop, chopping up broccoli and carrots (I pictured here chopping veggies with no onions by the way!).
But sadly she said all the soups were shipped to the store frozen and defrosted. Not one veggie chopped!
Why You’ll Love This Soup:
Not only does it taste better than Panera, you can make a whole pot of soup for less than the cost of picking it up at Panera. No fancy ingredients needed either!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Roasted Broccoli Cheese Soup:
- broccoli
- carrots
- light butter (I used avocado oil butter)
- flour
- light creamer (or you can use any plant based milk you like)
- chicken broth
- seasonings: pepper and Italian seasonings – I think there is enough salt in the chicken broth that no additional salt is necessary
Equipment Needed:
- air fryer
- stock pot
- stick blender or blender
Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This super delicious roasted broccoli soup is so quick and easy - the trick is using the air fryer to "roast" the veggies. This soup took about 20 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 tbsp avocado oil butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup light creamer
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the air fryer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots and spray with avocado oil and roast for 15 minutes at 360. They should be fork tender.
- While that cooks, melt the butter and add the flour. Slowly add the creamer and broth, while continuing to stir. The soup should start to thicken. Add cooked veggies, Italian seasoning and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Puree with stick blender. Stir in cheese. Garnish with a bit more cheese, parsley and bacon bits.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 192Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 823mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
How to Store This Soup:
This soup will last up to four days in the fridge. It also freezes well. Simply freeze in two cup portions and defrost overnight or in the microwave.
This roasted broccoli cheddar soup should be on your weekly meal plan. Because the vegetables are pureed, I bet even picky kids and spouses would eat this.
Tag me on Instagram if you make this – I’d love to see it!
Until next time!
What do you mean by light creamer?
Hey Dana! Sorry I wasn’t clear – I use fat free half and half.
2 tbsp avocado butter?
It’s a vegan butter – you can find it the butter aisle – it’s a soft spreadable “butter.” 😀