Welcome to the greatest Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe on the planet earth. It's a big claim, but an entirely accurate one. This soup is as much about consistency and texture as it is about flavor, and we've nailed all three. So much better than Panera's broccoli cheddar soup recipe and it takes less than 30 minutes to make.
We're talking all things decadent and creamy, all-out savory, cheesy flavor, and perfectly cooked broccoli florets. So this is basically comfort food 101 and it's just as good leftover as it was the first day. That's a big win at our house! Not to mention, this is an excellent way to sneak some extra veggies into your kiddos' diets!
This is one of those easy, one-pot, weeknight meals that somehow also magically works as a dinner for company. Serve your guests a warm bowl of soup with a piece of crusty baguette on the side and I promise you they'll be thrilled. And if you and your people just can't get enough of the cheesy broccoli scene, I highly recommend our Broccoli Cheese Sauce as your next easy culinary endeavor.
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
You'll kick off your broccoli cheese soup by melting down some butter in an enameled Dutch oven or a pot over medium heat. Watch the butter closely, and do not allow it to brown. As soon as the butter has melted, you'll add in one diced yellow onion and matchstick carrots.
To save time in the prep department, I often buy matchstick carrots that are already chopped and packaged from the produce aisle of my grocery store. You will find them near the baby carrots.
After the onion and carrots are in the pot, give them a stir and let them cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until softened. Stir every now and again to make sure your veggies don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Next, in goes the all-purpose flour. Flour serves as the thickening agent for this soup. It also serves as a binder, which aids the soup in achieving the perfect consistency and texture.
Sprinkle the flour right over the vegetables and stir until the vegetables are completely coated, about 1 to 2 minutes. Next, you'll add in the chicken broth. We use chicken broth in our Broccoli Cheese Soup for an extra savory vibe, but if you want to keep this soup vegetarian, feel free to sub for vegetable broth.
Add the broth one big splash at a time, stirring well after each addition until the mixture appears smooth. Adding the broth this way helps ensure your soup base stays extra smooth and creamy.
Once the chicken broth is in, you can slowly stream in the half and half, stirring all the while. Allow the mixture to cook over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, and allow it to keep bubbling for about five minutes. Once the soup has thickened slightly, it's time to add the cheese!
For this Broccoli Cheese Soup, we will be using a combination of cheddar cheese and American cheese. American cheese is known for melting down, especially smooth and creamy.
Cheddar adds a wonderful flavor to the soup. We prefer mild cheddar, as it is a softer and meltier variety. However, if you'd prefer a louder Cheddar flavor, you could sub in sharp cheddar.
One important thing to note about the cheese is that freshly grated cheese will have better texture and flavor than prepackaged shredded cheese. We highly recommend you grate your own cheese for this recipe. Broccoli Cheese Soup is just as much about cheese as it is about broccoli!
After your cheese has been grated and added to the soup base, stir until the cheese appears melted and smooth, and then add in the Kosher salt, black pepper, and soy sauce.
Soy sauce might seem like a strange ingredient for Broccoli Cheese Soup, but make no mistake it most definitely has its place! Your soup will not taste like soy sauce by any means, but it will have a depth of flavor you wouldn't get without it!
Lastly, add 3 to 4 cups of roughly chopped, cooked broccoli florets. You can use either fresh or frozen broccoli for this recipe.
You can simply stir in the broccoli or use an immersion blender to turn the Broccoli Cheese Soup into more of a purée. You could also transfer the soup to your blender, remove the lid's center cap, cover it with a dish towel, and pulse until puréed to your liking.
HOW TO STORE BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
Broccoli Cheese Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is not recommended that you freeze Broccoli Cheese Soup, as it will not hold together when it reheats. Because of all the dairy fats, the soup will separate and likely reheat grainy.
6 MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Tortellini Soup
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Taco Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Creamy Tomato Soup | Recipe
Stovetop Taco Soup Recipe
Homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half warmed
- 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Cheddar
- 1 cup freshly grated American cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Scant ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 3-4 cups roughly chopped, cooked broccoli
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Do not allow the butter to brown. Add onion and carrots and sauté for 6-8 minutes, or until softened.
- Sprinkle flour evenly over the vegetables and stir until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, a splash at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth. Slowly stream in the half and half, stirring all the while.
- Continue to stir occasionally until the soup has reached a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes or until the soup has thickened slightly.
- Add the cheeses, along with salt, pepper, and soy sauce and stir until smooth. Add the chopped broccoli and stir once more. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra cheese, serve and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Leave a Reply