This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is the ultimate comfort food. It's full of white cheddar cheese and tender broccoli florets. I love it topped with homemade croutons or served in a bread bowl! It's hearty, filling, and the perfect cozy soup for an easy weeknight dinner!
You might also like this broccoli cheddar mac & cheese or this creamy roasted cauliflower soup!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this creamy white cheddar broccoli soup!
Broccoli - I recommend using fresh broccoli florets because it has the best texture! However, frozen steamed broccoli also works. I also love dicing up the leftover broccoli stems and sautéing them with the onion for extra broccoli flavor and fiber, but that's totally optional.
Carrots - Some broccoli cheddar soup recipes call for carrots but I think they're unnecessary. However, you can definitely add in ½ cup of diced or shredded carrots if you prefer!
Cheese - I prefer the tang of a sharp white cheddar but you can use medium cheddar for a more neutral flavor. I also like adding in some parmesan for extra flavor but that's optional. The most important thing is buying blocks of cheddar cheese and shredding it yourself! Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that keeps it from clumping together in the bag, which also means it doesn't melt as smoothly in the soup. It's always worth it to take a couple extra minutes to shred your own cheese!
Vegetable Stock - I always use homemade vegetable stock because that's what I have on hand. But you can also use store-bought vegetable stock or chicken stock!
Half & Half - I like using half & half because it add the perfect amount of creaminess. But you can substitute whole milk for a lighter soup if you prefer.
Spices - I like adding a little bit of smoked paprika and cayenne for flavor and heat, but you can also add in 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard or ¼ teaspoon mustard powder.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Variations
Keep it chunky! If you don't want to blend up the soup, just serve it chunky! Up to you!
You can also swap out half of the broccoli for cauliflower!
I love serving this broccoli cheddar soup with homemade croutons, but it's also delicious served with a side of crusty bread, or in a homemade bread bowl!
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Cut the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces and set aside. If desired, finely chop about 1 cup of the remaining broccoli stems.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the diced onion, diced broccoli stems, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onions are aromatic and the broccoli stems are tender.
Then add in the flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add in the vegetable stock, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add in the half & half and bring the soup to a simmer.
Add in the broccoli florets and continue to simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
If desired, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup (alternatively you can remove 2 cups of soup and blend in a standard blender, then add back to the soup).
Then add in the shredded white cheddar one handful at a time and stir until completely melted and smooth (adding the cheese slowly helps prevent the soup from getting gritty or clumpy).
Remove from the heat, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Ladle the broccoli cheddar soup into bowls and top with extra cheese and croutons if you want!
How to Make Homemade Croutons
I love topping this broccoli cheddar soup with homemade croutons! The best part about them is you can customize the flavor however you like!
I like to use leftover sourdough bread (2-3 days old is best), lots of butter, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese! But you can also use olive oil and herbs, or even add some red pepper flakes. It's up to you!
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and add to the bowl. Then drizzle with the melted butter and toss until all the pieces are coated.
Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan and toss to combine.
Spread into an even layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks!
Recipe FAQ's
Store broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days!
No I don't recommend it. Because of the amount of cream and cheese in this soup, it just doesn't freeze well and will have an unpleasant texture after thawing.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 cup broccoli stems, finely diced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 cup vegetable stock, substitute chicken stock or water
- 2 cups half & half, substitute whole milk
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli florets into bite sized pieces and set aside. If desired, finely chop about 1 cup of the remaining broccoli stems.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the diced onion, diced broccoli stems, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onions are aromatic and the broccoli stems are tender.
- Then add in the flour, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the vegetable stock, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add in the half & half and bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add in the broccoli florets and continue to simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- If desired, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup (alternatively you can remove 2 cups of soup and blend in a standard blender, then add back to the soup).
- Then add in the shredded cheese one handful at a time and stir until completely melted and smooth (adding the cheese slowly helps prevent the soup from getting gritty or clumpy).
- Remove from the heat, then taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Ladle the broccoli cheddar soup into bowls and top with extra cheese and croutons if you want!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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