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!
What about using frozen Broccoli florets?
I had some broccoli I had to do something with before going bad, so I got on line and found this Wonderful recipe for Broccoli soup. I had all the ingredients except the heavy cream, so I substituted Half and Half in it’s place. I had to add a couple of tbls of flour to thicken it up, but other wise it was nearly the same. Like so many other on this site, this soup is absolutely wonderful. I did how ever use my emulation blender to break up the big pieces of broccoli making it as smooth as silk. I pared it with hot, crispy garlic bread. Let me tell you folks, it was totally to die for, and if possible, it was even better the second day.
I have made this recipe twice along with many of her other recipes. Occasional based on what i have in the fridge minor modifications can be made and never hinder the quality or flavor. Chungah is a cooking genius. Not only are her recipes damn delicious, they are delightful and deliberate! Simplicity and ease are two factors which I appreciate! I know this may sound narrow minded but anytime I’m looking up a recipe I go to her first! This soup has gotten raving reviews from everyone I’ve served it to including my children! Yay!
I made this with my students. We had to make quad-triple the recipe (making it in two pots). Turned out perfect! We served the soup with homemade croutons. It was even better the next day.
Can I replace milk with coconut milk???
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I made this last night for the 4th time! Delicious every time. The only thing I add is a little bit of powdered mustard 1/2-1 teaspoon and a couple ( 3-4 shakes) of paprika. Fantastic! Thank You for the recipe!!
I followed your recipe. Easy, quick, and hit the spot. Thank You
Made this soup last weekend and it really was “damn delicious”. Loved by everyone! This was my first time making broccoli cheese soup, and your recipe is a winner. Thanks so much!
Wow!!!! This soup is fantastic! I made this with my kids and we all declared it to be the best cream of broccoli ever. Thank you!
do you prefer this one over your newer Panera copycat broccoli soup? Just making that one, but didn’t realize you had this one as well. Very similar. Just wondering if you had one you prefer more.
I love them both!
Just made this for my family- everyone loved it! Will definitely be making again in the future. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Just made this. Yummy! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I made this soup tonight. I liked the flavor, but the texture was grainy. Any suggestions to get a smoother result? Thanks!
You can try using an immersion blender.
Panera was my “go to” when I wanted Broccoli and Cheddar soup…I’m so glad I tried this recipe it is absolutely delicious! I paired it today with homemade baked bread and it was to die for! I will be making this recipe a lot more in the future since fall has arrived!
I was wondering because I was was wanting to make this this week. Is broccoli cooked or do you put it in raw?
The broccoli does not have to be cooked prior to using.
This was wonderful! Much better than restaurant versions I’ve had! I used GF flour and it came out great! Thanks!
Darn..I wish I saw this a week ago when I made a big pot of this for my family. I was thinking “where can I find a good recipe”?….Anyway, mine came out pretty good and I thought I’d share my ideas…I started out my soup by sweating a medium onion and a granny smith apple in 2 tbs. of butter, seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg. I fought myself not to add any bacon, trying to be greener. I created the “roux” with flour. Then I added the broccoli, stock, milk (not cream) and simmered until tender…hand blended it, and then added in about 3 large handfuls of cheese. Seasoned with s&p, and garnished with, more cheese of course. Added in some home med croutons.
Looks yummy. I’ll make it tonight
Just finished making and eating this. Read thru the recipe and did a few substitutions and it still came out wonderfully!! I only had soy milk, so used canned milk w/equal pts water instead. Didn’t have heavy cream so used whipping cream. No thyme in the house. Used my leftover cooked broccoli and added extra cheese. I used my immersion blender (wonderful tool) to chop broccoli up a bit. He’s on his second bowl so it must be good!! Thank you…
So trying this later! I have yet to come across one of your recipes I haven’t liked! Thank you for all the flavor inspirations sometimes I need a wake up to my cooking senses and I restart my cooking creations!