This Broccoli Cheddar Soup is rich and creamy and filled with tender broccoli florets. It's warm, comforting, and SO flavorful! Perfect for a cozy winter evening.
Canโt get enough of broccoli? You'll love my broccoli rice casserole!
About This Recipe
This broccoli cheddar soup is what soup season is all about. It's warm and satisfying and can be eaten as a standalone meal. I made a big pot for dinner last week and my wife could not get enough of it! She asked me if I had any other meals prepped for lunch that week because she wanted to bring the entire pot to work!
Luckily for her, I was making a bunch of recipes that week, including my deviled eggs, so there would be plenty of food for me to eat at home (I work from home, and she goes into the office).
I've had this recipe in my recipe collection for years now and I'm so excited to finally share it. The soup is made completely from scratch, but dont confuse that with being hard or complicated! It's actually one of the easiest recipes on my blog. Everything is made in one pot, and it takes less than 30 minutes.
Key Ingredients
Broccoli: I like my soup with TONS of broccoli, so I'm using two full crowns of broccoli here. The stems and florets are all fair game. Feel free to use frozen broccoli if that's all you have. You'll need about 4 cups. But keep in mind fresh broccoli will always have a crisper texture than frozen.
Cheddar cheese: For broccoli soup, you want to use sharper cheddar varieties. That means ones that are labeled as old or medium. I'm using orange cheddar, but I've used white cheddar in the past as well, and it tastes just as good.
Flour: Flour is the main thickening agent for the soup.
Milk: The majority of the liquid in the soup comes from milk. I used whole milk, but feel free to use skim, 1%, or 2% as well.
Chicken stock: For the stock, I used Better than Bouillon's roasted chicken base mixed with water. You can use whatever chicken stock/broth you want.
Heavy Cream: Many recipes do not include heavy cream, but I personally love the taste that it adds. Yes, heavy cream can mute flavors in excess, but adding just ยฝ a cup will make the soup much creamier without overshadowing the broccoli.
Instructions
STEP 1: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the flour until evenly incorporated.
STEP 2: Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly. Add the chicken stock and broccoli and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Stir in the heavy cream, followed by the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy! Feel free to sprinkle on extra cheddar cheese at the table.
๐ Recipe
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- โ cup butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ยผ cup flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 ยฝ cups chicken broth
- 4 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 2 ยฝ cups cheddar cheese
- ยฝ cup heavy cream
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the flour until evenly incorporated.
- Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly. Add the chicken broth and broccoli florets. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the broccoli softens.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese, followed by the heavy cream, salt, and black pepper. Taste and add additional salt as necessary. Enjoy!
Kathy Johnson
What makes the milk curdle in the soup.
mama would be proud
this looks delicious. .will try and add small shrimp or crab to it FOR PROTEIN..