This Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe can be made in about 20 minutes!
Rich, creamy, and oh-so-cheesy, this broccoli soup is a quick meal that is perfect for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner.
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A Cozy 20 Minute Meal
Made without Velveeta, this soup is rich, creamy, and full of real cheddar flavor.
- Move over Panera; this broccoli soup is as easy as it is delicious.
- It needs few ingredients, this homemade soup is extra flavorful.
- And it is so versatile – add in extra veggies left in the fridge, from zucchini to cauliflower.
- This broccoli cheddar soup is ready in about 20 minutes, perfect for those busy weekday nights.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Soften onions/carrots (as per the recipe below). Add broccoli and simmer.
- Remove some of the veggies and blend the soup.
- Stir in cream mixed with flour, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in cheese and reserved vegetables and serve.
Ingredient for Broccoli Soup
- Onion & Carrot – Onion and carrot add flavor to this soup.
- Broccoli – Fresh or frozen broccoli florets can be used, no need to thaw frozen broccoli first.
- Broth – A combination of half and half and broth are the perfect blend without being too heavy. I prefer the flavor of chicken broth however, you can replace it with vegetable stock if desired. Half and half can be replaced with heavy cream or evaporated milk if desired.
- Seasoning – I add a little bit of thyme, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
- Cheese – Sharp cheddar adds the best flavor to this recipe. Feel free to add in other shredded cheeses like gruyere.
Tips
- When adding broccoli, use the broccoli stems as well.
- If you have fresh garlic cloves, use 1 clove to replace the garlic powder.
- Use a regular blender (be sure not to have the lid on tightly or it can explode from the steam) but an immersion blender works well too.
- Just like when making cheese sauce, remove the add the cheese once the soup is removed from the heat. If cheese (or dairy) boils it can separate leaving a less than desirable texture. The soup should be plenty hot enough to melt the cheese to a perfect velvety consistency.
Leftovers?
Diary doesn’t tend to freeze well and it can sometimes become grainy or the texture can change slightly. This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat it can be microwaved stirring occasionally or heated on the stove over medium-low.
More Cozy Soups
Did you love this Broccoli Cheese Soup? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups half and half or light cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot, cook butter, onion, and carrots over medium heat until onion softens (about 3 minutes). Add the broccoli, chicken broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer until broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup of vegetables, coarsely chop and set aside. Using an immersion blender, blend remaining vegetables and broth.
- Place flour in a small bowl. Add in cream a little at a time stirring until smooth. Bring blended vegetable mixture to a boil and whisk in cream mixture. Continue whisking until thick and bubbly, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in cheeses & reserved chopped vegetables and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Lunch, Side Dish, Soup
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I hit maximum lazy trying this recipe. I put the vegetables (and a bit of garlic instead of powder), all in the InstantPot and steamed them to the consistency I wanted, then hit it all with an immersion blender (I have NO spoons when I’m not feeling well lmao), and continued the recipe.
Maybe not the most attractive, Instagrammable dish done that way but utterly delicious. Everything about it was great! I can’t wait to be more fussy one day and make the “pretty’d up” version in the photos!
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing your Instant Pot tips!
I just got an Instapot for Christmas – planning to take it out of the box tomorrow. Thanks for the hack!
Made this tonight to use up the nearly frost bitten frozen broc I put up a few months back. I added bacon because, well, bacon. Uncured, so healthier ;) I’m an experienced cook amd this was easy and yummy.
So glad you enjoyed it, love the addition of bacon!!
Excellent!!! Im not the best cook, so love that its not complicated! I will definitely make this again.
Happy to hear it turned out well for you!!
This is a great recipe!!! I doubled it, and we could not get enough. This is now my top soup recipe. It was sooooo tasty.
So glad you loved it!
This was an EXCELLENT recipe, very easy and fast….my daughter loved it. Better than any you would order in any restaurant.
I’m so glad your daughter loved it Denise!
I made it exactly as called for…it was delicious
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Georgie!
Just made this soup for dinner tonight, and wow, it is delicious! I had to use Italian seasoning that has thyme in it, because I didn’t have thyme. I will be making this again soon. Thank you for the great recipe:)
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Robin!
This recipe sounds delicious but can I make it without the broth?
If you didn’t add broth, this wouldn’t be soup. You need the broth to get the right consistency.
You could use plain water but the flavor wouldn’t be there. There are low soduim vegetable broths (not powder) that are good if high sodium or animal product concerns you. I make my own broths at home so have complete control what goes into it.
Great suggestions, thank you!
Super fast and easy to make! I added a bit more cheese, and it turned out fantastic!! Will be making this again for sure!
Happy to hear you loved it Jennifer!
Holly, this recipe for broccoli cheese soup sounds superb! I need to make about a gallon of it. How would I adjust the measurements to make that much? Double or triple the recipe?
I would likely triple this recipe to make a gallon.
So delicious and easy. Will definitely save this recipe!
I will definitely be making this soup again. It was delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
For the love of God, can people just make HER RECIPE if you’re going to review? Things such as leaving out salt if you are using (example) broth that gives it enough saltiness… is a nice warning for those who dont know. If you want to “create” surely do your own recipe post. I just don’t get it! Ridiculous.
I thought the same thing!!
Don’t read the comments if it bothers you
Some people who post their recipe actually appreciate the feed back of the little tweets that some people make to the recipe. Maybe give a them an idea of a different way to make it that or add or take out something that the original person might not have thought of.
Yes it is wonderful just loved it good flavour whIculd print it off had trouble finding it I can’t find all the things I have saved different I pad
There is a print button located just above the ingredients list.
This soups is easy to make and tastes delicious! I recommend buying shredded carrots from the store. It makes prep time much quicker.
Holly, how many servings does this make? It sounds pretty easy to double. If I use evaporated milk, do I dilute it?
The evaporated milk is not diluted. This makes 6 servings.
Made this for my daughter and she loved it! She said it’s the best cheese and broccoli soup she has ever had. It has become a family favorite. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
So delicious! Making again today
With a bountiful crop of broccoli, I was looking for a soup to make. Glad I found this one. Delicious. Only change was to use corn starch instead of flour to make it gluten free. A definite keeper!
So glad you enjoyed it Carolyn!
I made this for dinner this evening. I added potatoes and used a smoky bacon cheddar cheese! It was delicious! My husband really liked it. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing!