Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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THE BEST broccoli cheese soup there ever was! So creamy, so cheesy. Perfect for those busy weeknights + picky eaters!
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Creamy, velvety, broccoli cheese soup with sneaked in veggies? Yes, absolutely. I am all in. And it is truly the most perfect creamy consistency (with the help of the potatoes) without weighing you down like you’ve just eaten a bowl of queso.
If you want to keep this completely vegetarian, vegetable stock is a great sub for the chicken stock. And if you want an even heartier version, half and half can also be subbed for the heavy cream.
But the most important thing here is to use good quality cheese that has been freshly shredded. It will make all the difference. And be sure to add them a handful at a time to avoid clumps. We do not like clumps here.
When ready to serve, top with additional cheese (if desired) and some crusty bread for dipping purposes.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Use frozen broccoli, potatoes or cheese on hand. This is a great way to repurpose and use up some of those pantry staples in your freezer.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. Add your cheese, a handful at a time, to avoid clumping.
- Make it vegetarian. For our vegetarian friends, vegetable stock is a great swap for the chicken stock.
- Dip the bread. Serve with crusty bread for all the dipping!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Broccoli Cheddar Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
Yes! 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.
We do not recommend freezing this soup as cream soups tend to separate when frozen.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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.
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Delicious and easy. Reduced the onion slightly, adding two carrots and four celery ribs. Then blended before adding broccoli.
This recipe was super easy! The flavor was spot on! I will definitely save this one and use it again and again. I am freezing some because I have to have dental surgery and needed something soft and tasty while I recover. I am really enjoying hopefully I can save enough for later! I topped it off with more cheese and bacon pieces!! Just like the name of your website it was Damn Delicious!
The soup was delicious. Highly recommend.
I made this in my crockpot for dinner tonight. I love the fact that you put potatoes in it, I am very excited to eat it. I love a good cheddar broccoli soup. 🙂
Hands down the best broccoli cheddar soup recipe I’ve made. I used half and half and an immersion blender before adding the cheese. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
We really liked this recipe! I am interested to hear what brand/type of cheddar everyone is using! We tried Tillamook sharp cheddar and felt it was a little too sharp. I think the cheese type would be important! I’ll try a medium next time. Thanks!
This was easy to make and delicious! I’ve used your recipes for many years due to the simplicity, and pleasing images. I’m keeping this one.
This was my first time making and having this soup! It was such a hit, I barely have any leftovers! I used a medium cheddar…The flavor-yum and the consistency “on point”!
Thanks for sharing
This is replacing my current broccoli soup recipe, it is just fantastic! My husband said he gives it a 12 on 10! The potatoes help the soup get a very rich consistency. I made the recipe exactly as is, but when serving, grated a little parmesan on top.
This is absolutely fantastic!! I used my immersion blender after the broccoli was finished cooking. It turned out so beautifully silky smooth and creamy. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
This is so good. It has replaced my copycat Panera soup recipe. I liked it so much better.
Love broccoli! Thank you)
Made for 2022 Nye celebration! Perfectly delicious.
A Five Star recipe for sure! I used a little less extra sharp cheddar cheese (all I had) than called for and did not add any salt. It was best new soup recipe made in a long while. Can’t wait for lunch today, AGAIN!!!
Delicious!
Excellent. Took little morer chicken stock than indicated.
The BEST Broccoli Soup ever! I’ve tried dozens of recipes. I love the creamy texture and cheesey goodness. I loved the potatoes in it. Delicious!
Yum! Just made this. I used cashew cream in place of heavy cream and a little less cheese. We are trying to cut back on diary use. Absolutely delicious even with these changes. Thanks for a great recipe. Will be making this again for sure.
CAN YOU FREEX THIS?
THX
N FRANK
I just made this soup and it is DELICIOUS! Can’t believe how easy it was and it’s gourmet. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used half and half, I love the texture and thickness of this soup.
What about using frozen Broccoli florets?