There's nothing better than a piping hot bowl of soup on a cold day to warm you up. A winter favorite is broccoli and cheese soup. Rich and creamy, tangy cheese, whipping cream and bits of broccoli traditionally make this soup a standout. But like many comfort foods, cream-based soups are high in fat and calories. We've taken a standard broccoli and cheese soup recipe and given it a facelift. With a few simple changes by FoodFit Executive Chef Bonnie Moore, we were able to cut more than 300 calories, and reduce the fat by a remarkable 32 grams! The cholesterol was slashed to only 7 milligrams from the original 106. We've cut the fat and calories, but certainly not the taste.

Bonnie was able to make these changes by:

• Replacing the butter with olive oil, and using less
• Reducing the amount of cheese
• Eliminating the whipping cream
• Adding celery and potatoes to increase the flavor and substance
• Using low sodium chicken broth instead of regular

Main Ingredients 6 tablespoons butter 2 pounds fresh broccoli 6 ½ cups chicken stock 1 cup whipping cream 2 cups grated cheddar cheese	Main Ingredients ½ tablespoon olive oil ½ cup celery 1 small russet potato 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock 5 cups (about 2.5 pounds) fresh broccoli 6 tablespoons (about ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) grated cheddar cheese
Calories: 442 Fat: 35 g Saturated Fat: 21 g Cholesterol: 106 mg Sodium: 306 mg % calories from fat: 66%	Calories: 104 Fat: 3 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 7 mg Sodium: 249 mg % calories from fat: 28%

Click here to see the new recipe!