Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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The best broccoli cheese soup! This is so easy to make (even with frozen broccoli) and so cozy. Perfect for busy weeknights and picky eaters!
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Why you’ll love broccoli cheddar soup
- The ultimate speedy comfort food. We’re talking creamy, velvety, broccoli cheese soup with all the sneaked in veggies, tasting so much fresher than any store-bought or restaurant version.
- Just the right consistency. This soup yields the most perfect creamy consistency (with the help of the potatoes) without weighing you down like you’ve just eaten a bowl of queso.
- Budget-friendly. Basic staples such as broccoli, stock, and cheese cost a fraction of ordering out. You can even use frozen broccoli in a pinch!
What is broccoli cheddar soup?
Broccoli cheddar soup is a classic comfort food type soup made with broccoli, cheese, and a rich cream base. The consistency is smooth and velvety, lightly coating the back of a spoon.
how to make broccoli cheddar soup
- Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the onion in melted butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat until tender and translucent. Then sauté the garlic and thyme until fragrant.
- Add the flour. Stir in the flour until lightly browned to make the roux, removing the raw flour taste while adding a rich, nutty flavor.
- Deglaze the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and lift up the caramelized brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook the potatoes. Stir in the potatoes, salt, and pepper. Then bring the soup to a gentle boil, simmering until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes. Mash some of the tender potatoes using the back of a wooden spoon to help thicken the soup.
- Add the broccoli. Stir in the broccoli and heavy cream, gently simmering until the broccoli is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the cheese. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the shredded cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread for sopping and dunking.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
Tools For This Recipe
Broccoli Cheddar Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Freshly grated sharp or extra-sharp cheddar is best for bold, classic, cheesy flavors.
Absolutely! Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
This is a great soup recipe to use up all your frozen broccoli without even needing to defrost!
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Simmer for longer or use an immersion blender to puree the broccoli florets and potatoes.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, gently reheating on the stovetop (never boiling) until warmed through.
Freezing is not recommended as cream soups tend to separate when frozen.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups chicken stock
- 2 cups diced russet potatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, about 2 cups
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in potatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, mash potatoes until slightly thickened, if desired; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in broccoli and heavy cream. Cook, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 2 minutes.
- Stir in cheese, a handful at a time, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Repurpose frozen ingredients. This is a great recipe to repurpose and use up some of those pantry staples stocked in your freezer (ex. frozen broccoli, frozen potatoes, or even frozen cheese).
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Make it lighter. Heavy cream will yield an exceptionally rich, thick soup. Substitute half-and-half for a lighter consistency, still yielding a creamy texture without it being overly heavy and weighing down the broth.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting. Always use good quality freshly grated cheddar to ensure a velvety smooth consistency, adding a handful at a time to avoid any clumping.
- Make it vegetarian. To make this vegetarian-friendly, vegetable stock is a great swap for the chicken stock.
- Skip freezing. Dairy-based soups do not freeze well, becoming grainy once thawed.
Did you make this recipe?
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Amazing! Made this tonight! My kids and husband do care for broccoli, but this was it! Chef’s kiss, new dinner favorite 🙂
Question, so I wanted to make this soup this weekend and I love your recipes…..I saw potatoes min the soup?
I have never had potatoes ion a broccoli cheese soup, is this more a chowder?
Potato’s help to thicken the soup
Doubled the recipe , added tsp of herbs de provance? And a little extra heavy cream. Delicious! Thank you . hearty soup for the upcoming storm today!
Made this tonight but prepped onions and broccoli yesterday. I only made half because of the freezer warning but realized I could just leave the cream and cheese out but why bother, this soup comes together quickly enough.
Excellent recipe, going to make it often, thanks!
We love this soup. I just made it for dinner yesterday. I frigid, cold and snowy here right now. A big bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup was just what we needed.
Amazing 5/5 stars
Excellent! I used a bag of the frozen broccoli from Costco and it was perfect! I also used my immersion blender after the broccoli was cooked. Loved every bite!
I have a question, which I feel silly asking but when you are referring to a sweet onion are you saying a vedalia onion or just your normal yellow onion? Please let me know as eager to make this.
yes, Vedalia is a sweet onion
LOVE it! This is my new go to for Broccoli Cheddar Soup, so thank you (!) its a fabulous recipe! Used Kerry Gold butter (salted) and medium cheddar – thankfully a double batch!
Thank you for this great recipe! I’ve made versions of this soup in the past but none was as tasty as this soup! Easy to make and just the right amount of thickness! Perfection and so enjoyable on a damp misty day like today in NC. Enjoy!
Very delicious and satisfying! Yummy on every level. It’s adapted as been said. I went to the beginning of comments to read your response to others. Thank you!
I have left over mashed potatoes that I am going to add instead of the diced potatoes. I will let you know how it turns out!
Do you think you could use white beans instead of potatoes to blend and thicken up this soup? Trying to think of ways to boost the fiber and protein!
Would this stay good in a crockpot for a pot luck?
Asking because it says serve immediately and wondered if it separates or something?
Love this!! I’ve come back to this recipe four or five times now and I tweak it each time but it’s sooo good. This time I used beef broth instead of chicken stock and I also added carrots in with the potatoes. 11/10
Add my name to the list of people who have made and loved this recipe. I haven’t made a broccoli cheddar soup for so long because I’m never happy with it, but this was a crowd-pleaser! Thank you!!!
Delicious recipe! Thank you for sharing it. Enjoying every bite. The thyme was a surprise, but it turned out so, so good! Definitely will make it again! Great for this rainy day!
Fantastic… great soup! This is my 2nd time making this and I can’t get enough. Super flavour and easy to make.
JoJo
Best ever broccoli cheddar! Made it just as recipe calls for and it’s yummy without being overly creamy. Put in regular rotation.
I almost never leave comments on cooking websites, but this soup is legit! Total keeper. I read many of the comments about how this was the best soup, and it truly is. If you’re not using broccoli I can see this base (potato, onion, garlic, stock) for any chowder. Orignally from New England, I love chowders, and this would make a great clam, corn, lobster chowder. That said, the broccoli and cheese is sublime. No overly creamy, but sturdy enough to make for dinner. Cannot say enough good things about this. Thank you!
I agree with you Anne, tasting the base recipe I could have eaten as just that or added anything!