This Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup is pure comfort in a bowl. The creamy, cheesy soup base with the tender broccoli is the perfect combination. We love this served with bread or in a bread bowl.
What we love about this Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I love the broccoli cheddar combination. The melted sharp cheddar with the creamy chicken soup base combined with the tender broccoli is truly comfort in a bowl. I love every spoonful. This is easily served in a bowl or a bread bowl. I have purchased bread bowls at both my local grocery store and Walmart.
The soup comes together so quickly. I cook the broccoli in a separate pot while I prepare the soup base to save time so dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes. The soup thickens as it sits, so I would add more milk or cream if sitting over low heat for some time.
Looking for more comfort food this season? Try our Chili and Cornbread Casserole, Chicken Fried Steak, Chili Recipe with Corn, or our Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup!
What you need to make this Broccoli Cheddar Soup
You will need the following ingredients:
- Broccoli
- Butter
- Flour
- Onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Chicken stock or broth
- Half and half
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
Broccoli Cheese Soup Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could use water and bouillon instead of chicken broth, or substitute with vegetable broth
- You could use evaporated milk or milk in place of the half-and-half, though you might want to add a little more flour to thicken.
- You could add additional vegetables you like, including peas, celery, cauliflower, or potatoes.
- You can do a cornstarch slurry in place of the flour. I use half of the amount of cornstarch when substituting for flour in a recipe.
Step-by-step Instructions for this Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Step 1. In a medium pot, add enough water to cover the broccoli and bring to a boil. Lightly salt the water (½ to 1 teaspoon), add the broccoli, and cook for 12 minutes. While the broccoli is cooking, in a large 5-6 quart pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion and shredded carrots, and cook for 10 minutes until onions look translucent and vegetables are more tender, stirring occasionally and watching the heat to make sure the vegetables don’t burn. Add garlic, and cook and stir for an additional minute.
Step 2. Add the flour, and stir and cook the flour for a minute or two. Slowly add the chicken broth, and stir to break any lumps. Add half and half and stir until the soup starts to smooth and thicken, about 10 minutes. Lower the temperature if needed to keep the soup simmering; do not boil.
Step 3. Add the broccoli and stir in the cheese, about a cup at a time, making sure the cheese is melted before adding more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup 2-3 times to slightly break up the broccoli, but not to blend it smooth.
Step 4. Serve immediately in a soup bowl or bread bowl with the middle hollowed out. Serve with additional cheese on top if desired. Soup will thicken as it sits, thin with additional half and half or milk if needed.
Tips
- This soup thickens as its sits, if it will be sitting on low heat for long, be prepared to add additional half and half, milk, or broth. It will also become a little more salty, so I would add more dairy instead of the broth.
- I love cooking this dish in my Lodge enameled Dutch oven. It’s a little more pricey than my other pots and pans but I have had mine for 20 years and use it still several times a week. It is a solid, long-lasting, well-made pan. Crock Pot sells a 5-quart Dutch oven pot that looks to be popular as well and is cheaper, though I can’t speak of its longevity.
- I do recommend grating cheese by hand instead of using purchased shredded cheese. See my note at the end of the recipe. If you don’t like shredding cheese by hand, I like this rotary cheese shredder which makes it so much easier!
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store and reheat Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup? |
| Soup can be safely stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days, or kept in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 2-3 months. It tastes great the second day, but it will need to be thinned with additional broth, milk, or water. To reheat, warm in a pot over the stove until heated through, or microwave individual servings in bowls until warm. |
| What should I serve with Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup? |
| This soup is a meal in itself with the cheesy broth and broccoli, but it could also be a starter course for a larger meal. You can serve it with crusty bread and/or crackers to dip in the soup or grilled cheese. You can serve it in a bread bowl, so the bread bowl is also part of the meal. A simple salad and fruit could also accompany. Additionally, we love to have soup night and make another soup or two for variety and yummy leftovers the next day. |
Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
This Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup is pure comfort in a bowl. The creamy, cheesy soup base with the tender broccoli is the perfect combination. We love this served with bread or in a bread bowl.
10
minutes30
minutes3-4
servings40
minutesIngredients
4 cups chopped broccoli, stems removed and florets trimmed to one-inch pieces (about one large head of broccoli)
¼ cup butter
1 cup onion, diced, about half of a large onion
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups half and half, with additional half and half or milk for thinning if needed
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese with additional cheese for serving if desired. I buy a 16-ounce block of cheese and shred it by hand for the best results instead of buying shredded cheese. See note at the end of the recipe.
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- In a medium pot, add enough water to cover the broccoli and bring to a boil. Lightly salt the water (½ to 1 teaspoon), add the broccoli, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the broccoli is cooking, in a large 5-6 quart pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion and shredded carrots, and cook for 10 minutes until onions look translucent and vegetables are more tender, stirring occasionally and watching the heat to make sure the vegetables don’t burn. Add garlic, and cook and stir for an additional minute.
- Add the flour, and stir and cook the flour for a minute or two.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, and stir to break any lumps. Add half and half and stir until the soup starts to smooth and thicken, about 10 minutes. Lower the temperature if needed to keep the soup simmering; do not boil. See the note at the end of the recipe. Soup will continue to thicken with added cheese.
- Add the broccoli and stir in the cheese, about a cup at a time, making sure the cheese is melted before adding more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup 2-3 times to slightly break up the broccoli, but not to blend it smooth.
- Serve immediately in a soup bowl or bread bowl with the middle hollowed out. Serve with additional cheese on top if desired. Soup will thicken as it sits, thin with additional half and half or milk if needed.
Notes
- This soup thickens as its sits, if it will be sitting on low heat for long, be prepared to add additional half and half, milk, or broth. It will also become a little more salty, so I would add more dairy instead of the broth.
- I do recommend grating cheese by hand instead of using purchased shredded cheese. Packed shredded cheese contains preservatives to keep it from clumping that also prevent it from melting as well. Hand shredded cheese melts better and tastes fresher and creamier, which improves the texture and flavor in your soup. Plus, as an added bonus, its a better value! I really like this rotary cheese shredder which makes grating cheese easier.
- I have found sourdough boules or bread bowls both at my local grocery store and at Walmart.
- Even with a roux in the soup to help stabilize the dairy, when you bring dairy to a boil in soup, the high heat causes proteins to separate from the liquid, leading to curdling, a grainy texture, or a greasy film on top, ruining the smooth, creamy consistency of the soup.
My son is obsessed with the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera and this is the first one I’ve made at home that he loves as much as the Panera soup.
I love hearing that! It really is so good, and I’m glad your family enjoyed it. Thanks for the great feedback!
I made this last night and it was AMAZING. I’m so sad I don’t have any leftovers today!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! This is the most comforting soup, we love it and I am glad it was a win for your family too. Thanks for the great feedback!
This soup is what dreams are made of! This was delicious!
I love hearing that, I am so glad you enjoyed it! We love this soup, too. Thanks for the great feedback!
Made the broccoli cheddar soup tonight and it turned out so good, creamy, cheesy, and cozy without being heavy. Definitely adding this to my weeknight rotation!
I love hearing that! It really is such a yummy, cozy soup. I am so glad you liked it, thanks for the great feedback!
I made this Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup recently and it was amazing! So comforting and cheesy, perfect with some crusty bread.
I love hearing that! It really is the best comfort food. I am so glad you enjoyed the soup, thanks for letting me know!