Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A creamy, cheesy and comforting Broccoli Cheddar Soup that rivals anything you can get at a restaurant. It’s hearty and filling – practically a meal all on it’s own – with tender vegetables, a duo of cheeses and a luscious, well-seasoned, creamy broth.
Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
My daughter is a soup fanatic – to the point that meal prepping at least one soup recipe for the week is part of my Sunday routine. While she loves my roasted butternut squash soup and roasted pumpkin soup, her hand’s down favorite is this broccoli cheddar soup
I’ll be honest, this broccoli cheddar soup is a bit more work that those other favorites – but, if I don’t make it at least once a week she starts BEGGING to go to a deli for the express purpose of getting her broccoli cheddar soup fix.
(I’ve tried persuading her with canned broccoli cheese soups but truth be told, they are absolutely disgusting.)
The length of the list of ingredients may seem intimidating, but I guarantee that if you give this recipe a try you will see that not only is it incredibly easy – but those extra moments of chopping vegetables and adding seasonings beyond just the typical salt and pepper are well worth it.
The combination of the caramelized onion and garlic roux*, the addition of Italian seasoning, mustard, paprika and salt, and using both cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese creates an amazing depth of flavor in this recipe that is worlds above most restaurant versions that I have tried.
*(A roux is a combination of flour and butter that serves as the base of most creamy soups)
This broccoli cheddar soup is utterly indulgent while also delivering all of the health benefits of the tender vegetables incorporated in the recipe (not to mention the calcium and vitamin D from the dairy):
- Broccoli is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, potassium and fibre
- Carrots add antioxidants, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotine) and more fibre
- Onions are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B and manganese
- Garlic is also a great source of vitamin A and B and manganese, and also adds in much-needed selenium
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Variations:
- to make preparing this soup easier, you can omit the carrots or any of the seasonings
- add cooked, shredded chicken for some protein and to make this soup a main course
- make gluten-free with cornstarch instead of flour
- to make this soup even more filling, add some pasta or egg noodles.
- add additional vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms or kale (etc)
- swap out the seasonings listed below for your preferred seasonings
Store this broccoli cheddar soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup? Personally, I don’t recommend freezing soups made with heavy cream as the cream can separate upon thawing. (It doesn’t happen all of the time, but it does happen – ruining the creamy texture of the original soup and making it gloopy.)
If you plan to make a big batch to freeze, I personally would prepare the soup without the heavy cream and then just add that later when you reheat the soup after thawing.
Can I use frozen broccoli to make broccoli cheddar soup? Frozen broccoli will be very mushy if used directly in the soup, in addition to throwing off the liquid ratio. You can try to prevent this by thawing completely overnight in the fridge and drain the excess water in a colander before using.
More Delicious Homemade Soup Recipes
You can see our full collection of homemade soup recipes here.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, minced
- Shredded Carrots
- Chopped Broccoli
- All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- Salt
- Italian Seasoning <– grab our recipe for homemade Italian seasoning here
- Mustard Powder
- Paprika
- Grated Cheddar Cheese, or to taste
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Heavy Whipping Cream, 35%
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: to increase portion sizes, add 1 additional cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup milk.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring this recipe from the stove to the oven
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Place butter in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Once butter is hot and melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the shredded carrots and broccoli and saute for 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is wilted and softened.
Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat the vegetables in the flour.
Add broth, followed by the seasonings and cheeses. Stir to combine and then let simmer until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.
Add heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Allow the soup to simmer and thicken for 3-5 minutes.
If desired, remove some of the vegetables to a blender and puree. Be careful not to trap heat in the blender – my method is to remove the air plug at the top and place a kitchen towel over it before blending at the lowest setting. Return the veggies back to the soup before serving.
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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
A Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup that is absolutely restaurant-worthy, with a caramelized onion and garlic base, plenty of tender veggies and a luxurious creamy broth that is infused with plenty of seasonings and a duo of cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots (approximately 1 large carrot)
- 3 cups Chopped Broccoli (approximately 1 head)
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese, or to taste
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, 35%
Instructions
- Place butter in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once butter is hot and melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the shredded carrots and broccoli and saute for 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is wilted and softened.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat the vegetables in the flour.
- Add broth, followed by the seasonings and cheeses. Stir to combine and then let simmer until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.
- Add heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Allow the soup to simmer and thicken for 3-5 minutes.
- If desired, remove some of the vegetables to a blender and puree. Be careful not to trap heat in the blender - my method is to remove the air plug at the top and place a kitchen towel over it before blending at the lowest setting. Return the veggies back to the soup before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 820mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 26g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this easy broccoli cheddar soup recipe as much as mine does!
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