The most AMAZING Vegetable Soup!! Thick and creamy, loaded with tender vegetables, it tastes luxurious and rich but it’s a SUPER HEALTHY soup recipe with 90% LESS calories than the usual creamy soups!
Magic super low calorie creamy Vegetable Soup!
Though my recipe feed doesn’t exactly scream “healthy eating” by any stretch of the imagination, the more discerning may have noticed that most of my dinner recipes actually have a sensible level of calories.
I don’t often cook with cream. I control my use of butter (sometimes reluctantly). And I am pretty sure I can count the deep fried recipes on this blog on one hand.
I believe that food is for enjoying not just survival. I don’t believe in butchering great dishes of the world for the sake of drastic calorie reduction and compromising taste. I’d rather eat a smaller serving of something super tasty and bulk up on vegetables.
However, I do have a thing for creating seriously tasty, super low cal meals that are filling. I have a few friends I often brainstorm with for calorie controlled food intake ideas. (Well, they brief me on exactly what they’re after and I do the brainstorming).
This is the product of one such session – a Healthy, Creamy Vegetable Soup recipe that’s just 124 calories for a big bowl and it’s seriously delish!
Secret ingredient: Pureed peeled zucchini
This recipe is sort of an extension of my Creamy Cauliflower Soup. Which I initially used as the soup broth for this healthy creamy Vegetable Soup and while tasty, it had a distinct cauliflower flavour which was not what I was after. I was specifically trying to make a super low cal cream of vegetable soup, so I wanted the white soup broth to have a fairly neutral but seasoned flavour.
The solution? Two zucchinis in the bottom of my fridge past their used by date. Peel off the green = almost pure white flesh. I knew it would thicken the soup and add silkiness just like in my Creamy Zucchini Soup – except this soup would be white.
Bingo.
Flavour!
The soup broth is also flavoured with onion and garlic which is cooked with the cauliflower and zucchini in vegetable broth and water until soft, then whizzed up until silky smooth. Pour it into the pot loaded with even more veggies, simmer to bring it all together and this is what you end up with – a big pot of HEALTHY creamy Vegetable Soup that looks like it’s been made with tubs of cream.
I’m not going to lie to you. Is it as good as making a real Cream of Vegetable Soup made using a big chunk of butter and 1/2 cup of flour to thicken milk? And let’s add a nice swish of cream while we’re at it, and we’d be mad not to sauté the veggies for the soup in more butter, because after all, butter = flavour.
Then we must, oh we MUST serve it with big hunks of grilled cheese on toast, and don’t hold back on the cheese please, and while you’re at it, please slather the bread with butter before topping with cheese.
No, this Healthy Creamy Vegetable Soup is not “as good” as that.
But does it stand on its own as a seriously delicious soup for a ridiculously low amount of calories for a gigantic VERY filling bowl?
YES IT DOES.
I know some people would use all the calorie credits for a little sweet treat. Not me. Bring on the grilled cheese. – Nagi x
Soup Dippers
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Magic healthy low cal creamy Vegetable Soup!
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower , about 600 – 700g / 1.2 – 1.4 lb (Note 1)
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, 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 each garlic powder and onion powder (or 1 tsp of one of them)
- Pinch black pepper
Soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 onion , chopped (brown, white, yellow)
- 2 large carrots , cut into 1.25cm / 1/2″ pieces
- 3 celery sticks , cut into 0.75cm / 1/4″ slices
- 2 red capsicum / 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
- Finely chopped parsley , optional garnish
Instructions
Cauliflower:
- For soup – Break off 1/4 of the cauliflower into small bite size florets and put aside to use in the soup.
- For broth – Break up the rest of the cauliflower into medium florets. If you have a small cauliflower, use the stem too – peel then rough dice.
Broth:
- Place cauliflower for broth in a large pot. Add zucchini, onion, whole garlic cloves, vegetable broth and water. (Note 2)
- Place lid on, bring to boil then adjust heat so it’s simmering energetically. Cook for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
- Transfer to blender (Note 3), add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and milk. Place lid on, place tea towel on lid and hold down very firmly, then whizz to puree soup, starting on low then getting faster.
- Remove lid. Marvel at super low cal ultra creamy soup broth.
Soup:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots and celery, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add thyme, capsicum and zucchini. Cook until softened, around 2 minutes.
- Pour in soup broth. Adjustment consistency with water to achieve desired thickness. Add reserved cauliflower.
- Simmer 5 minutes to bring flavours together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve, garnished with parsley. Or splurge your calorie credits on a piece of grilled cheese to dunk into the soup!!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
A familiar sight: a furry head peeking around the bench to check out if anything of interest (to him) is going on in the kitchen….. In this case, no, just raw cauliflower!
This soup is so delicious ! Reminds me of a cream of potato soup I grew up with on a Midwest farm, without the carbs and calories ! TY much!
Nagi, this soup is a game changer. Good-bye fattening roux and heavy cream calories! I love it plain, or with kielbasa and frozen veggies, leeks instead of onions- So many options, I can’t thank you enough!
I just made this soup today and its dilish. 5 stares
Super creamy soup! Unfortunately extremely bland. I did add (at the end) 2 more chicken stock cubes, Vegetta, more thyme, more salt & pepper and 1/2 tsp curry powder. After that, outstanding! Thanks so much Nagi & Dozer xxx
3.5 rounded up to 4. Made it as writte . I love the healthy approach. The idea of cauli + zucchini making a creamy soup – brilliant!
I found this a bit on the bland side and too celery forward. That said, it’s a brilliant soup to build upon and I’m looking forward to experimenting with it in the future.
Nagi perfect timing winter weather is upon us and that’s a good meal much appriciated.It will be on my menu quite often as I love soups a lot. Mr Doza love you .
Love love love this soup recipe!! I was super skeptical but glad I did make it because it’s super delicious for 124 calories. I really enjoyed adding a grilled chicken breast to it.
I made this and added a pound of 99% lean ground turkey for added protein. It is a delicious soup and so creamy and flavorful. Will definitely be making this regularly!
It was very edible. I recommend you cook the vegetables that guy in the soup a bit longer and add more onions. The broth was excellent
Amazing soup! Definitely needs some added seasoning. We added Chicken and topped it with a little shredded cheese. Delicious!
Delicious and nutritious! Love this, so versatile too as different veg can be added.
This is super easy and very yummy. Doubled the seasoning and used a good chicken broth. Just finished my first batch and am looking for ideas of what veggies to add to my second batch.
I was skeptical I used good chicken stock and making a vegetable soup my house smells amazing. I like flavor so I doubled the garlic and onion power by cooking the base veggies with 1/2 tea spoon of garlic and onion powder. This is absolutely amazing! Thank you for this recipient absolutely amazing for both a new cook and someone that knows their way around the kitchen!
I was amazed at how creamy the “broth” came out! My only caveat is this recipe is dreadfully under seasoned. I added salt, onion powder, black pepper and a healthy shake of Tony Chacere Cajun seasoning. Delish!
Just made this. Didn’t have any capsicum, so a couple of chillis went in. Yum.
I’ll be making this again
Nagi is a genius….never thought that cauli & zucchini wld make such a creamy base 4 a soup…I added pumpkin & kumera pls the other ingredients as those veges are so cheap at the mo…mid winter…..added some cumin seeds & cumin powder as well…Nagi is my all time fav ….:)
So easy! So delicious!! I also added 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast- YUM!! Thanks once again Nagi- that’s why you are our favourite!!
This recipe is AMAZING! The creamy soup base has the texture of potato soup which I found very comforting and was absolutely delicious. I did add a grilled chicken breast, but next time I think I will skip that and add some baby bellas instead. I will be having this at least once a month for sure. Bravo
this recipe is disgusting
For a change, followed the recipe exactly 😄. OK, one really tiny tweak – used fresh thyme instead of dried (tripled the amount).
And yes, use a blender for the broth for a really creamy base. A stick blender won’t result in the same consistency.
Absolutely great! Added to my regular rotation.