Description
This Magic Healthy Low Cal Creamy Vegetable Soup offers a luscious, creamy texture without the extra calories thanks to cleverly blended cauliflower and zucchinis. Packed with wholesome vegetables and flavored with garlic, onion, and thyme, it’s a comforting, nutritious, and guilt-free meal perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cauliflower
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, about 600 – 700g / 1.2 – 1.4 lb
Low Cal Creamy Soup Broth
- 500g / 1 lb zucchinis (2 large), peeled and cut into 1.5cm / 3/5″ slices
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped (brown, white, or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, whole
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups (500 ml) water
- 1 cup (250 ml) 0% fat milk (or other milk of choice)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Pinch black pepper
Soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 onion, chopped (brown, white, or yellow)
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1.25cm / 1/2″ pieces
- 3 celery sticks, cut into 0.75cm / 1/4″ slices
- 2 red capsicums / bell peppers, cut into 1 cm / 2/5″ pieces
- 500g / 1 lb zucchinis (2 large), peeled and cut into 1.25cm / 1/2″ slices
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herb of choice)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Finely chopped parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Cauliflower: Break off 1/4 of the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets for the soup and set aside. Break the remaining cauliflower into medium florets (including the stem if your cauliflower is small, peeled and roughly diced) for the broth.
- Make Broth: Place the broccoli florets designated for broth into a large pot. Add zucchini slices, roughly chopped onion, whole garlic cloves, vegetable broth, and water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain an energetic simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Blend Broth: Transfer the cooked vegetable mixture to a blender in batches if needed. Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and 0% fat milk. Secure the lid tightly; use a tea towel to hold the lid firmly in place and blend starting on low speed, gradually increasing until smooth and creamy. Optionally, use a stick blender but note the texture might be less silky. Set broth aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add carrots and celery; cook for another 2 minutes to soften slightly.
- Add Remaining Vegetables and Herbs: Stir in dried thyme, red capsicum, and zucchini slices. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes.
- Combine Soup: Pour the prepared creamy vegetable broth into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Adjust consistency with additional water if needed. Add the reserved small cauliflower florets meant for the soup.
- Simmer and Season: Let the soup simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired. For an indulgent touch, serve with a piece of grilled cheese for dunking.
Notes
- Cauliflower size is about 25 cm / 10″ in diameter, roughly basketball size; size variance will not significantly affect soup thickness.
- Frozen cauliflower florets (500g / 1 lb) can be used as an alternative; reserve 1/4 for the soup and the rest for broth, cooking from frozen.
- It’s normal if the liquid does not fully cover the vegetables in the pot; the boiling and steam will cook everything evenly.
- If using a small blender or stick blender, you may need to blend in batches and/or cook vegetables for an additional 5 minutes to ensure extra softness, resulting in a smoother soup.
- Soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and freezes excellently for longer storage.
- Nutrition per serving is based on 6 servings, approximately 2 heaped cups per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 350 ml)
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 270 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 2 mg
