The is the best broccoli cheese soup recipe, no kidding! Creamy, cheesy comfort food loaded with tender chunks of broccoli, carrots and cheddar cheese.
Super easy to make and ready to devour in under an hour!

I absolutely love a piece of sourdough bread or a Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit dunked into a warm bowl of broccoli cheddar soup. Talk about a match made in heaven. If you're looking for a quick soup recipe, this is as easy as it gets!
Just like our chicken noodle soup and hot and sour soup, this soup is amazing served right away but it also reheats very well, so make enough for leftovers. You'll be glad you did!
What you need
- broccoli
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- carrots
- butter
- onion
- flour
- half and half
- vegetable or chicken stock
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
How to make it
How do you make broccoli cheese soup from scratch? 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!
Common questions
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!
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.
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

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
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.
NOTES
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Amy in the Kitchen.
Ruth says
Hi Amy, this recipe sounds amazing and keen to give it a go but I am wanting to know what half and half is please.
I am from Australia and never heard of this.
Thanks
Amy says
It's a mixture of half cream and half milk.
Ruth says
Great thank you
Grace says
Very tasty!! How much is one serving?
Amy says
Hi Grace, it should be around 1 cup of soup.
Nancy Verzinski says
You can now, Inga! 😊
My family loved this soup! It's a keeper, for sure! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Charity says
So simple. So delicious! Thank you so much.
Kagnie Leday says
Just made this super easy recipe…This is so yummy!!! Thank you and love you 🙂
Amy says
Hi Kagnie, that's awesome! Love you too 🙂
Sonya Williams says
I just made the soup and it came out perfectly. I didn't how easy it was. Yhe best thing was I had all the ingredients in my fridge. Woohoo! The only thing I did add was bite size chicken.
Amy says
That sounds delicious!
Inga says
Turned out AMAZING and I can’t cook!
Pamela Parkinson says
Wonderful, my family loved it on this cold January evening.