I’m not one for diets and deprivation, but I’m going to be trying on a wedding dress in a few weeks, I don’t want to have a break down on the pedestal.

I want to be crying because I’m going to marry the man of my dreams in my dream dress, not because I’m a fluffy cake-topper and need to order a size up.

But still, deprived is not a word in my dictionary.

I always try to eat healthy – eating the rainbow, lots of yogurt and veggies and fruits, limiting foods from a package – but if I want a Buttercup Cupcake, I will get it.

So it’s not about giving up. It’s about eating a little smarter.

With dishes like this. A slimmed down broccoli cheddar soup.

The killer in traditional broccoli cheddar soup is the heavy cream and the cheese that’s piled on.

So when I saw this lightened up version in Cooking Light Magazine, I was stoked. Heavier on the veggies, with just a swirl of half and half to keep things creamy. I can’t do low fat cheese, so I stuck with full fat cheddar. And as always, I made a few tweaks to make it mine.

You will need

• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 3 ribs of celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 a white onion, chopped
• 1 large bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 carton vegetable stock
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• half and half
• grated cheddar

Drizzle a heavy bottomed pot with olive oil and toss in the carrot, celery and onion. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies start to soften a little. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the broccoli.

Give the pot a big stir then add the vegetable stock. You can use chicken stock, but I wanted to keep this vegetarian.

Put a lid on the pot and let the vegetables and the stock cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the broccoli is soft.

Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to puree the soup. Stir in a few tablespoons of half and half to give the soup a bit of a creamy hint.

Ladle big bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

There are so many vegetables in this light and healthy soup that you won’t feel the least bit guilty having a brownie later.