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Broccoli Cheese Soup is the ultimate comfort food and easily cooks on the stovetop. Rich, creamy, cheesy and loaded with veggies!
I love making Easy Soup Recipes once the weather starts to colder. Broccoli Cheese Soup is one of my favorites. We have made Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe, The Best Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup, Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup.
The creamy texture and cheesy flavor makes this classic recipe perfect for dipping crispy French Bread or breadsticks. If you have had Panera Bread broccoli cheddar soup, then you are going to love this soup.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup is loaded with delicious flavor and perfect served in a large bowl topped with more shredded cheese and croutons. It is easy to sneak in veggies such as potatoes for even more flavor.
Make this rich and hearty soup for a easy weeknight meal. We have even served it for a family gathering with a Veggie Tray Recipe and Shredded Beef Sandwiches and everyone loved it!
Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
- Butter – We used salted butter in this recipe
- Yellow Onion – Finely chopped medium size onions
- Cloves Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- All-Purpose Flour – This is added to create the roux to thicken the soup
- Chicken Broth – See Chicken broth substitutes if you are out. Use chicken stock for an easy substitutions. For a vegan option, use vegetable broth.
- Milk – We used whole milk but you can also use almond milk for a dairy free option
- Fresh Broccoli Florets – Chopped into small pieces
- Large Carrot – Use a Carrot Shredded to add to the soup
- Paprika – See Best Paprika Substitute if you are out
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Feel free to substitute with mild cheddar cheese
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Step 1 – In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 2 – Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 3 – Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Step 4 – Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
Step 5 – Add broccoli stems and grated carrot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat.
Step 6 – Stir in nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step 7 – Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes with lid, or until the broccoli is tender. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks for texture.
Step 8 – Stir in the grated cheese and pour the heavy cream until the cheese is fully melted and incorporated into soup base. Serve hot, and garnish with additional shredded cheese, if desired and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Thicker Soup Consistency – For a thicker soup, you can increase the flour to ⅓ cup.
- Smooth Soup Consistency – If you prefer a completely smooth soup, puree all of it instead of leaving chunks. You can blend with a immersion blender or work in batches by putting in a blender.
- Chop Onions – We like to chop the onions ahead of time to save time. We used this vegetable chopper to easily chop the onions. You can even learn How to Freeze Onions.
- Shred the Cheese – For the best flavor and to ensure your cheese melts perfectly, we recommend shredded cheese from a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has additional ingredients that are not needed for this recipe.
- Cooking Soup – We like to cook this soup slow and low. This allows the ingredients to blend perfectly giving the soup the best flavor and texture.
What to Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup?
Serve this Broccoli Cheese Soup with your favorite side dish recipes. These are some of our favorites.
- Salad – Serve it with a green salad or Easy Caesar Salad Recipe for a light side dish which makes it perfect meal for lunch or a quick dinner.
- Bread – This soup is so creamy that it is my favorite to dip my favorite bread in. I love to make Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe, Easy Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe or 30 Minute Dinner Rolls.
- Sandwiches – Another easy side dish to add is your favorite sandwich such as Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich Recipe or a Bacon Sandwich.
- More Sides – Check out What to Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup for even more side dish ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
We like to use sharp cheddar cheese to use in this soup recipe because it melts easily. Colby Monterey Jack Cheese also melts well in soup as well as casseroles.
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli and there is no need to thaw it. We recommend adding the broccoli about 5-6 minutes after adding the carrots so that the broccoli does not get mushy.
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, this soup freezes great and we often double the recipe so we can freeze the leftovers. Place the leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. See How to Freeze Soup for even more tips. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to serve.
Reheat the leftovers on the stovetop in a saucepan or place in a microwave safe container to reheat in the microwave.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Quick and Easy Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe
Quick and Easy Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Easy Slow Cooker
Crockpot Crack Potato Soup
Quick and Easy Soup
Crockpot Cauliflower soup recipe
We love to hear from you. If you make Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe, please leave us a comment or star review.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets chopped into small pieces
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Add broccoli florets and grated carrot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Stir in nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks for texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer about half the soup to a blender, puree, and return to the pot.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and heavy cream until the cheese is fully melted and incorporated.
- Serve hot, and garnish with additional shredded cheese, if desired and enjoy!
The best flavor and it was so easy to make!