Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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!
Featured Comment
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Awesome recipe, found it kept really well being frozen.
This is definitely the best ever Cheddar Broccoli soup recipe. Give it a go and try it. Won’t be disappointed.
Excellent recipe, quick and easy to make. Thank you.
Easy and delicious
Fantastic recipe ! I skipped the cream and Added more stock.
Top notch! Loved it!
Thank you
Thank you.
Can you freeze the creamy broccoli and cheese
I’ve made this recipe a few times now. Its on repeat at my house. Very delicious.
I have used a number of your recipes but really need to know about the calories. Could you please consider including them? Thank you!
Does this soup freeze well?
So good! Did not mess with it. The recipe was perfect as it is.
I didn’t have heavy cream on hand, so milk had to do.
Used broccoli stock and the slightest amount of Celtic salt with a nice dash black pepper to sweat with the onion at the beginning.
I didn’t see the specified “sharp” cheddar until the end. However, I used just over half of a smaller block of the “Idle of Man” cheddar (from the British idles) which made it jjjust creamy enough (and salty enough). Even though it was not as thick as anticipated, it still turned out good.
Additionally, I plopped some shaved carrots in (I’ll use less of next time so it’s not overpowering) and opted out of the butter for red pepper olive oil instead with a couple drops of basil olive oil too.
I will attempt again, but was still tasty.
Note: The cheese part is pretty important, this cheddar was a wee bit gritty, but hardly noticeable. I’d use sharp cheddar and heavy cream next time, unless you’re watching your weight than try with milk but stick with a hf the sharp cheddar amount instead and cut out the butter with olive oil.
I followed recipe exactly and at end slowly added my freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and it made entire pot soup all gritty and grainy , why did this happen to my soup ?
Some cheese just aren’t great for Soup, Not all cheddar is made the same, I just an Old Cheddar, though I agree with you on the glorious taste of Sharp Cheddar.
This recipe was easy to follow and so delicious. My whole family enjoyed it. I added a little chicken boullion when I added the potatoes and I fried up some bacon that I crumbled in at the end. Served it with garlic butter sour dough bread. Will definitely make again.
The best DANG CHEDDAR CHEESE BROCCOLI SOUP I’ve ever made .. I will definitely keep it in rotation
Do I assume that 6 servings means 6 cups of soup? Or are the servings larger than a cup? I need to make 6 quarts of soup.
@Diane – if I add up all the cups in the recipe, it looks like it will make maybe a little more than 12 cups. So, doubling it would give you the 6 quarts you’re looking for. If it makes a bit more – bonus!
This is a very hearty soup! A meal in itself! I used a 13″ diameter wok, which I usually use for any dish that requires a lot of space, as this one does.
Here are my notes on my experience of cooking it for the first time:
Two large heads of broccoli are required. I put the broccoli in 5 minutes after putting in the diced potato, but not the cream yet. A little extra boiling water seemed to be needed. Whizzed it up in the blender when done, and returned to the wok. Added crême fraîche, then the cheese – a mixture of mature cheddar, manchego and conte. Topped it off with grated parmesan when serving.
Final note: I’m glad I used the wok. That was a wise move.
My husband & I made this soup. It is absolutely delicious! The recipe is very easy to follow, lots of flavor & the potatoes are a great addition to this soup. Highly recommend. It’s a keeper recipe!
I’d like to try this. I love Cheddar broccoli soup. Could you substitute cauliflower for the potatoes to reduce the carbs? I also plan to add diced carrots.
Really good!!
Yummy soup, I replaced the russet with a white sweet potato and tapioca flour instead of flour. Super tasty gluten free option. Thank you for this recipe.