The is the best broccoli cheese soup recipe, no kidding! Creamy, cheesy comfort food loaded with tender chunks of broccoli, carrots and cheddar cheese. Ready to devour in under an hour!
I absolutely love a piece of sourdough bread dunked into a warm bowl of broccoli cheese soup. Talk about a match made in heaven. This broccoli soup with cheese is about as easy as it gets when it comes to a quick soup recipe.
This soup is amazing served right away but it also reheats very well, so make enough for leftovers. You'll be glad you did!
Recipe steps
Let's go over the steps needed to get this delicious soup on your dinner table tonight!
- Cook onions: Saute onions in melted butter over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour on top, stir to coat the onions and cook for 2 minutes.
- Thicken: Add one cup of stock to the pot and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Simmer: Add the remaining stock, half and half, broccoli, carrots and seasonings to the pot. Stir, cover the pot and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Melt cheese: Add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Best cheese
Sharp cheddar is ideal for broccoli cheese soup. It has a strong flavor, but it's light enough not to overpower the broccoli. White cheddar, mild cheddar or colby cheese are other varieties that work well with this recipe. Shred the cheese by hand for freshest flavor!
Fresh or frozen broccoli?
Use fresh or frozen broccoli florets and stems cut into bite-sized pieces. The stems will soften as the soup simmers and add more broccoli flavor. If you are using frozen broccoli, allow it to thaw and drain off excess liquid before adding it to the pot.
TIP: For a recipe that tastes like Panera broccoli cheddar soup, add thinly sliced carrots. Either cut them by hand or grab a package of "matchstick" carrots which are conveniently sold in packages with the carrots sliced into thin strips.
Substitutions
- half and half: Whole milk or equal parts heavy cream and milk.
- vegetable stock: Chicken stock or water. Additional salt will be needed if using water. Bouillon cubes can be added to the water for more flavor than substituting water alone.
How to store and reheat
Store leftover broccoli cheese soup in a closed container for up to 3 days in the fridge. The soup can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. If using the microwave, stir halfway through heating time as there will be some separation of the cheese and milk. Freezing is not recommended.
Easy soup recipes
- homemade tomato soup
- roasted butternut squash soup
- chicken noodle soup (coming soon)
- french onion soup (coming soon)
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 cups vegetable stock (chicken stock or water)
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and stems
- 1 cup carrots (thinly sliced)
- 3 cups (12 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat and saute the diced onions for 5 minutes to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
- Pour 1 cup of the vegetable stock into the pot. Stir continuously until the mixture starts to thicken and becomes smooth with no visible lumps of flour. Add the remaining 3 cups of stock, half and half, broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper and garlic powder, stir and cover with lid. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the cheese to the soup and stir until melted. Check seasonings and add more if desired. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!