Broccoli Cheese Soup

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This broccoli cheese soup requires hardly any effort and is full of cozy flavor. Creamy broth is studded with tender diced potatoes, fresh broccoli and lots of melty cheese.

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Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Watch How to Make It
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
• What is a Roux?
• Tips for the Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
• Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Cheddar Soup

There are many qualities that make this soup a must-try, but if I had to choose, here are my top reasons:

• Easy. There is nothing complicated about this recipe, which makes it perfect for a lazy weekend or a weeknight where you have a bit of time to let the soup simmer on the stove. From start to finish, this broccoli cheese soup is ready in under an hour.
• Hearty. In addition to the broccoli, there are carrots, garlic, and potatoes in this soup. It is filling and satisfying. We love serving it with grilled cheese sandwiches on the side.
• Cheesy. There is an entire 8-oz block of cheddar cheese in this soup. It melts seamlessly into the broth, creating a creamy, cheesy base that is seriously irresistible.
• Flexible. You can add other veggies to this soup pretty easily. Want to use cauliflower florets instead? Go for it. Want to add a can of drained white beans for extra protein? Also not a problem.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this broccoli cheese soup. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredient list.

• Olive oil
• Veggies: Onion, carrot, garlic, potatoes and broccoli.
• For the roux: butter and all-purpose flour.
• Broth: I used vegetable broth, but you can also use chicken broth.
• Milk
• Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika.
• Sharp cheddar cheese: Use a block of cheese and grate it, don’t use pre-shredded cheese.

Variations

• Different veggies: If you want to use cauliflower florets instead of broccoli you can do that. You can also add trimmed green beans.
• Beans: You can add one 15-oz can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans.
• Meat: Add cooked shredded chicken, or crumble pieces of crispy bacon on top.

Note that if you add a lot of extras, you’ll also need to increase the amount of broth and adjust the seasonings in the soup.

How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup

Here’s a quick look at how to make this broccoli cheddar soup. For step-by-step visuals, check out the video above. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.

• Cook onion, carrots and garlic. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots, then cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
• Make the roux. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the pot. Once it melts, add the flour, then with a whisk mix the flour into the butter. Continue whisking gently for about 3-4 minutes, until it has a slightly nutty smell and is light golden in color. Slowly add the broth to the pot, whisking it into the flour mixture. Add the milk and whisk that in with everything else.

• Simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the liquid has thickened up a bit.
• Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook for 12 minutes.
• Add the broccoli. Cook for another 8 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green.
• Grate the cheese. With a grater or food processor with a grater attachment, grate your block of sharp cheddar cheese. Set aside about 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top of the soup when you serve.
• Add cheese to the soup. Gently add the rest of the cheese to your soup and stir in until it melts.
• Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with reserved cheese.

Tips for the Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

In addition to the above tips, here are a few more things I recommend:

• Bite-sized pieces. It is important that the broccoli and potato pieces are small enough to easily fit into your mouth. Keep this end goal in mind while preparing your veggies.
• Shredded carrots? Sliced? Diced? I prefer to shred the carrots because it makes it easier for them to be evenly distributed in the soup. (And also bite-sized.) But if you prefer, you can also dice your peeled carrots or even slice them into half-moons.
• What kind of cheese is best? I recommend using a block of cheese (vs. pre-shredded) and shredding it in your food processor. Freshly shredded cheese melts easier. You can use yellow or white cheddar. Whichever one is your favorite variety is the one you should use in this soup.
• What kind of milk to use? I use whole milk but you can also use low-fat or non-fat milk. I don’t recommend using plant-based milk with this recipe.
• Add the broccoli at the right time. Add the broccoli when directed in the recipe, not along with the potatoes. If you add them with the potatoes the florets will over cook and lose their bright green color.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this soup with thick slices of crusty bread. It also goes wonderfully with grilled cheese sandwiches. Other sides that go well with broccoli soup include:

• Cornbread Muffins
• Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• Sweet Potato Cornbread
• Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits
• Old Fashioned Cornbread

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Fridge: Let your soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To reheat: Ladle your desired amount into a small pot and warm over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired temperature. You can also microwave the soup in a microwave-safe bowl, pausing halfway through to stir the soup and make sure it reheats evenly.
• Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing broccoli cheddar soup.

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Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

5 from 1 rating

This broccoli cheddar soup recipe requires hardly any effort and is full of cozy flavor. 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 2 cups milk
• ▢ 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bit sized pieces
• ▢ 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, use a block of cheese and grate it, don't use pre-shredded cheese

Instructions

• Cook the onion, carrots and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
• Add butter and flour. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the pot. Once it melts, add the flour, then with a whisk mix the flour into the butter. Continue whisking gently for about 3-4 minutes, until it has a slightly nutty smell and is light golden in color.
• Add broth and milk. Slowly add the broth to the pot, whisking it into the flour mixture. Add the milk and whisk that in with everything else.
• Simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the liquid has thickened up a bit.
• Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook for 12 minutes.
• Add the broccoli. Continue cooking for another 8 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green.
• Grate the cheese. With a grater or food processor with a grater attachment, grate your block of sharp cheddar cheese. Set aside about 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top of the soup when you serve.
• Add cheese to the soup. Gently add the rest of the cheese to your soup and stir in until it melts.
• Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with reserved cheese.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 899mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1277IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 396mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Author: Sunny Side Suppers

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

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