My all-time favorite soul-satisfying first-course dish is Broccoli Cheese Soup! Yep, even above Loaded Potato Soup.  As you know, I am on a bariatric diet; therefore, I made the alterations to my recipe listed below.  The bariatric diet involves low carbs, low fat, and high protein; however, legumes are acceptable.  Thank goodness, since chickpea pasta has been my saving grace.  My go-to brand is Banza; anyway, more on that coming soon.

For this soup to squeeze into the bariatric diet guidelines, I changed the milk, half & hand, and cheese.  I used a reduced-fat cheddar cheese, fat-free half & half, and 2% milk. There are tradeoffs in using lower-fat products, which come in the form of texture.  Fat is part of the reason; this soup usually is so silky.  Now, don’t get me wrong; I only notice the difference in texture because I have had the other very often.  One of the ways to get around the texture difference is to blend the soup very well.

Furthermore, a mixture of 2% and whole milk can do the trick.  Lastly, using half-reduced-fat cheese and regular cheese will alleviate most differences. After getting used to low-fat eating, these changes will not be as noticeable. There are other ways to combat it, such as using zucchini or cauliflower.  Depending on the application, they work out perfectly for you. 

In the recipe, I use xanthan gum to thicken the soup.  That is just my preference; feel free to use a roux.  To use a roux, sprinkle two tablespoons of all-purpose (or gluten-free) flour over the onions, carrots, and garlic.  All this to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written, omitting the xanthan gum.