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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Published: May 11, 2022 · Modified: Nov 13, 2022 by Rachel

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
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    This Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe features 100% real cheddar cheese! It’s packed with broccoli, carrots, onions, and celery for a rich, flavorful soup that is hearty and thick with every bite. Inspired by bread bowl style soups, this ultimate comfort meal will be a frequent family favorite.

    Creamy broccoli cheddar soup in a white crock bowl on yellow towel and wooden cutting board next to crusty sliced baguette.
    Contents show
    1 Recipe Ingredients and Notes
    2 How to Make Cheddar Broccoli Soup
    3 Tips for Making a Great Soup
    4 Serving and Storage
    5 Looking for More Hearty Soup Recipes? Check These out:
    6 Frequently asked Questions
    7 Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    Soup is an essential staple for busy households like ours. Easy to feed a crowd and often forgiving, it’s common to find a pot simmering on my stovetop because soups are always perfect for meal prepping quick lunches. My family members each have our own favorite, with Italian Sausage Kale and Chicken Meatball Soup being perennial top picks.

    This Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe brings back fond memories of McCallister’s Deli in college. Their bread bowl soups were the ultimate comfort food for homesick, stressed-out college kids. The broccoli cheddar was such a standout, I was inspired to recreate the flavor for my own family.

    Let’s talk about what makes this recipe an instant family favorite. The creamy, cheesy texture is a hit for children and children at heart. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love cheese! My own affinity for French Onion Soup is at least partially linked to the melted cheese topping.

    But wait, there’s more! This soup is chock full of nutritious vegetables. Broccoli, carrots, and celery are cleverly disguised under layers of rich flavor. Garlic, butter, and a pinch of nutmeg add unexpected depth. This soup is everything best about an easy dinner that hits the comfort food craving!

    Recipe Ingredients and Notes

    Ingredients for Broccoli cheddar soup laid out on a table in bowls with text labels.

    Broccoli: I originally wrote this to include the stems because I actually do like them. However, not many do, so I changed it to florets. I recommend fresh broccoli, but you can substitute frozen in a pinch.

    Vegetables: One thing about my soups is that they are often as hearty as a stew. This recipe also has carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes. You could skip any one of them and add more of the rest. I cut all of them in a diced fashion.

    Cheddar Cheese: Only all-natural, real sharp cheddar cheese here! No Velveeta or other melting cheeses necessary. I highly recommend buying 1lb block and shredding it yourself. Pre-shredded has binders in it that won’t let the base become as creamy.

    Milk: I use 2% generally but any milk is fine.

    Chicken Broth: I use low sodium so I can control the salt level, but you can use whatever you prefer.

    Garlic: I often use pre-minced garlic or about 2 cloves minced.

    Flour/Butter: I use all-purpose flour to make a flour roux with the butter for richness and as a thickener.

    Nutmeg: This gives a slightly nutty, warm taste. It’s really optional though if you don’t have it on hand. Paprika can also be used to add color and depth.

    ***Recipe Tip: You can dice the carrots or buy a bag of shredded carrots and save a ton of time on peeling and dicing.

    How to Make Cheddar Broccoli Soup

    The full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but this is a visual reference if you need it for how the soup comes together.

    Steps to making broccoli cheese soup.
    1. Cook the Veggies. Add onions, carrots, celery to a large pot and cook over medium heat until tender. (photo 1)
    2. Soften the potatoes. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until potatoes are just tender. (photo 2)
    3. Thicken the base. In a separate small bowl, blend flour and water together. Add to soup and simmer until slightly thickened.
    4. Add milk and broccoli florets. and cook until broccoli is cooked through. Don’t overcook – mushy broccoli is terrible. (photo 3-before cooking)
    5. Melt the cheese. Stir in cheese and allow to melt. The soup needs to be very hot and I usually put it in a handful at a time to melt. Serve hot and enjoy!

    ***Recipe Tip: The broccoli can be as large or as small as you like. It won’t change the cook time very much. If you would like to puree the soup, I would use a food processor or immersion blender and pulse until the soup is the preferred consistency.

    Tips for Making a Great Soup

    • If you want to speed up cooking the broccoli, you can steam it in the microwave and toss it in fully cooked.
    • To prevent a grainy soup, add the cheese one handful at a time, mixing well between handfuls, and make sure the soup is hot when melting.
    • For best results, shred your own cheddar cheese off the block.  Not only is it cheaper, it melts SO much better because pre-shredded contains cellulose to keep it from clumping.
    • I like to garnish this soup with a sprinkle of black pepper and a little cheddar cheese.

    Serving and Storage

    What to serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup? I always like a crusty bread with soup to compliment the flavors, but it works wonderfully with a Cesar Salad, Greek Salad, Paninis, Ham Sliders, and Cobb Salad.

    Leftovers: Store in a well-sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Lasts 3-4 days.

    Make Ahead: This vegetable soup recipe is wonderful for meal prep or leftovers. All the vegetables, except the potatoes, can be prep ahead of time and the cooking takes less than 30 minutes.

    Looking for More Hearty Soup Recipes? Check These out:

    • Sausage and Kale Soup (Zuppa Toscana Copycat but better!)
    • French Onion Soup
    • Cabbage Beef Soup
    • Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
    • Seafood Chowder

    Frequently asked Questions

    Can broccoli cheddar soup be made in the slow cooker?

    Yes! However, the dairy can’t be added until last to prevent curdling. I also prefer to add the broccoli florets at the end so they don’t overcook and become mushy. I have the slow cooker and instant pot directions the recipe card below. 

    Can broccoli cheddar soup be frozen?

    Yes, but you will want to make this soup without adding the dairy or cheese, since dairy doesn’t generally freeze well. Just wait and add the dairy when you’re reheating the soup.

    How long does broccoli cheddar soup last in the refrigerator?

    Extra soup will last in the refrigerator about 3 days.

    How to make broccoli cheddar soup thicker?

    This soup recipe is quite thick and smooth as is. It will take up to 10 minutes to thicken and it will thicken even more as it cools. However, you can whisk a bit of cornstarch into cold water or broth until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then stir the slurry into the soup.

    Cookbook cover of Chicken and Rice casserole. The cookbook is titled Weeknight Supper Solutions

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    More Delicious Soup Recipes

    Two bowls of french onion soup.
    French Onion Soup
    Top down view of Sausage Kale Soup in a red bowl.
    Sausage Kale Soup
    2 bowls of Chicken Meatball Soup with vegetables, carrots, and kale in a broth.
    Chicken Meatball Soup
    Cabbage Beef Soup in a red bowl on wood top with crackers.
    Cabbage Beef Soup

    PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes. 

    Creamy broccoli cheddar soup in a white crock bowl on yellow towel and wooden cutting board next to crusty sliced baguette.

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    This Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe features 100% real cheddar cheese and packed with broccoli, carrots, onions, and celery for a rich, flavorful soup that is hearty and thick with every bite.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 8 cups
    Calories: 282kcal
    Author: Rachel

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon Butter
    • ½ Cup Onion diced
    • 1 Cup Carrots diced (about 2 carrots)
    • ½ Cup Celery diced
    • 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
    • 3 Cups Chicken Broth
    • 1 ½ Cups Potatoes Diced, about 2 medium
    • 2 tablespoon Flour
    • 2 tablespoon Water
    • ¾ Cup Milk
    • 2 Large Heads of Broccoli Florets only
    • 3 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded – use a block, not pre-shredded.
    • Salt and Pepper to Taste
    • ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

    Instructions

    • Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery and cook over medium heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
    • Add garlic to pan and cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth and diced potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.
    • In a separate small bowl, blend flour and water together. Add to soup and simmer until slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli florets and cook until broccoli is al dente or just cooked but not mushy.
    • While soup is piping hot, stir in cheese one cup at a time. Stir until melted. Serve hot and enjoy!

    Notes

    Slow Cooker Directions:
    1. In a slow cooker add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, potatoes and broccoli stems (not florets). Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.
    2. In a separate small bowl, mix flour and water together.
    3. In a soup pot, add the soup and flour mixture along with the milk and broccoli florets and cook until broccoli is cooked through.
    4. Stir in cheese an allow to melt.
    Instant Pot Directions:
    1. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, potatoes and broccoli stems to pot.
    2. Secure lid and move valve to the sealing position.  Set on Manual/Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
    3. In a separate small bowl, mix flour and water together.
    4. In a soup pot, add the soup and flour mixture along with the milk and broccoli florets and cook until broccoli is cooked through.
    5. Stir in cheese and keep stirring until melted.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15.6g | Fat: 18.1g | Saturated Fat: 11.2g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Calcium: 376mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @CravingCreative or tag #CravingSomeCreativity!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Xclusiveone says

      December 28, 2017 at 10:40 pm

      5 stars
      I will absolutely make this again and again! This recipe was a winner in my household, including my super picky husband.
      So delicious!!!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        December 29, 2017 at 11:07 am

        So glad that you and your family enjoyed it! It’s always nice to hear good feedback on our family favorites!

        Reply
    2. Alpha Carinaa says

      May 16, 2015 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for this recipe! It looks yummy and my family will surely love this. And, the instructions on how to cook this delicious soup is easy to follow. Can’t wait to cook this for my loved ones.

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        May 19, 2015 at 1:50 am

        Thank you so much! I love this soup so much and it is definitely a family favorite.

        Reply
    3. Mom says

      March 12, 2015 at 10:34 pm

      5 stars
      looks YUMMY!

      Reply
    4. Rebecca says

      October 06, 2014 at 3:40 pm

      5 stars
      So excited because I found this recipe on my pinterest today and I’m going to make it this week!!!! <3!!!

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        October 06, 2014 at 6:04 pm

        Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
        • Rebecca says

          April 09, 2015 at 9:52 pm

          It turn(s) out great! It’s one of my favorite recipes ever

    5. Jess says

      April 14, 2014 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so delicious!! I’ve pinned it!

      Thanks for joining the Link Up this week!

      Reply
    6. Danielle says

      April 11, 2014 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
    7. Rebeccafaith says

      April 11, 2014 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      I’m hungry now :[! I pinned this for future use..omg THIS LOOKS AMAZING

      Reply
    8. meranda@Fairytalesandfitness says

      April 10, 2014 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for linking up with us for Tasty Tuesday! I normally do not like the consistency of creamy broccoli soup but I think I would enjoy it more with the added vegetables! Thanks!

      Reply
    9. Pam@over50feeling40 says

      April 10, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds so good!! Thanks for sharing on the Thursday Blog Hop!

      Reply

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