This homemade broccoli cheddar soup is both delicious and easy to make!
It has a rich and cheesy flavor, and it is ready in just 30 minutes, making the perfect weeknight dinner.
Serve it with a chunk of crusty bread for dipping.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
If you enjoy Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, you will love this homemade version.
- Classic comfort food, creamy, cheesy, and hearty.
- It’s made with simple, easy ingredients you likely have on hand.
- This soup recipe can be adapted to your preference or needs.
- It’s a budget-friendly meal, and perfect as a meatless choice.
Ingredients
Broccoli –This recipe uses fresh broccoli florets to add flavor and texture to the soup. Frozen broccoli florets may also be used (without thawing). For added texture, set aside a portion of the cooked broccoli before pureeing the soup.
Cheese – This recipe uses 3 kinds of cheese: cream cheese for creaminess, sharp cheddar, and parmesan for flavor. Using pre-shredded cheese is not recommended because it doesn’t melt as well.
Soup Base – The soup base is made with broth, cream, and a little cornstarch to thicken it. The broccoli is blended for texture and to thicken the soup a bit further.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
The best homemade broccoli cheese soup needs just a few fresh ingredients!
- Sauté onions and garlic in a pot per the recipe below.
- Add broccoli, broth, and seasonings. Simmer until tender.
- Remove some of the broccoli, chop, and set aside. Blend the remaining soup.
- Stir in cream and cream cheese, then add in cheeses and chopped broccoli.
Tips & Variations
- I prefer the flavor of chicken stock, but vegetable broth will work too.
- Substitute the cheese for your favorite; we love sharp cheddar. A milder cheese will result in less cheesy flavor.
- You can add a diced potato, cauliflower, or asparagus along with the broccoli.
- For a lighter version, you can use evaporated milk instead of cream. Regular milk may need extra cornstarch to thicken the soup. For an extra creamy option, use heavy cream.
- Serve this soup in a bread bowl for a fun and yummy presentation.
Leftover Broccoli Cheese Soup
Keep this broccoli cheddar soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave, stirring occasionally, or heat on the stove over medium-low.
Avoid the freezer with this soup. Diary doesn’t tend to freeze well, and it can sometimes become grainy, or the texture can change slightly.
More Great Soups
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cups broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups light cream or evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup fresh parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until tender.
- Add broccoli, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes. Add cream cheese and cook for 2 minutes more to soften.
- Remove 1 cup of the cooked broccoli, chop it coarsely and set it aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining soup.
- In a separate bowl, mix together cream and cornstarch.
- Bring the soup to a boil and whisk in the cream mixture. Simmer until thickened (about 3-4 minutes).
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 ¾ cups of cheddar cheese, all of the parmesan cheese, and the reserved chopped vegetables.
- Garnish with additional cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This soup was so delicious! I will definitely be making it again!
It was a hit with my whole family, including a picky 4 year old
Thanks for sharing it!
This soup was SO delicious!!! I was well pleased with the texture, taste, and easiness of this recipe.
It’s a winner all around! Husband asked for seconds! Absolutely scrumptious!!!
My husband and I made this for dinner tonight. The recipe was easy to follow.
The soup turned out so wonderful. Everyone loved the soup & wants it again soon. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
This was as good as Panera’s anyday…Next time I will make bread bowls for it to go in…
One of the best soups I ever made, thank you.
So glad you loved this Jim!
I just made this soup with no changes to recipe. It’s now my favorite broccoli cheese soup recipe.
I just made this recipe and it turned out amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
I can’t wait to make this
Turned out great even with a number of changes, I believe due to the perfect ratio of broth, dairy and cornstarch. Just chopped a couple cups of broccoli very small, didn’t bother blending anything. Greek yogurt cream cheese, 1 cup milk+1/2 cup whipping cream, and doubled the garlic. Make sure you only use freshly shredded cheese (not pre-shredded with separators) or it won’t melt well. My new favorite broccoli cheddar soup.
Nicole, how do you make Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese?
Sounds YUMMY! Regular cream cheese bothers my stomach, but I can eat Greek Yogurt (such as Fage) just fine.
Thanks!
The soup was easy to make and very delicious! Will be sharing the recipe with my friends.
This was the first time I ever made Cheddar Broccoli soup. I followed your recipe to the Tee. It was amazing! My wife and I loved it and so did our youngest daughter. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
You are very welcome Ben! So glad everyone loves this soup!
Sorry, but this was a big no-go for me. My first of sooo many Spend with Pennies I’ve made that didn’t turn out.
Made this tonight for dinner, following the recipe exactly verbatim- no changes or modifications. Grated my own parmesan, let cream cheese come to room temp and even measured everything (not something I usually do when making soup) but the cream cheese never fully incorporated, no matter how much I whisked.
The flavor was pretty bland, too- not very cheesy or broccoli-forward.
I’m still a BIG fan of Holly’s and I have many recipes of hers that I do love!
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this soup Elcee. Thank you for trying it!
Can this be reheated the next day or will it mess up because of the cheese?
This reheats well on low.
So delicious! Thanks, Holly, for another 5 star recipe! I was nervous because I usually avoid thyme – it is not one of my favorite spices, but it really works in this recipe. I used fat-free half and half for the light cream since that is what I had on hand and it turned out great. I served with homemade crusty rolls on the side and it was all so good!
I’m so glad you loved it Mary, crusty rolls would be the perfect side for this soup!
My go to recipe for cheesy broccoli soup. It is wonderfully delicious. Even my picky 6 year old says “yum I love this soup” when i make it. ☺
So glad your family loves it Carrie!
Really good soup! I used evaporated milk so I could freeze some of it.. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Terry. Happy you loved it!
This soup is delicious! Just curious about the nutrition info below the recipe. Is it per serving or for the whole recipe? Doing WW and trying to determine points. If per serving, what amount is considered a serving?
Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it Cindee. The nutritional information is for 1/6th of the recipe.
Hi, I made this soup and it is delicious! I was wondering if the nutrition information is for the whole recipe or just a serving, and if a serving what do you consider a serving? I cup? Cup and a half?
Thanks!
The nutritional information is per serving which is approximately 1.25 cups of soup.
Delicious!! Rich, creamy and cheesy! Very easy to make.
I didn’t have and immersion blender, but we like our veggies chunky anyway!
Yummy!
Do you have a recipe for Cream of Broccoli soup. I feel that putting cheese in with the broccoli translates to: “I don’t like the taste of broccoli!”
This soup still has a delicious broccoli taste. You can definitely leave the cheese out if you prefer as well. I have enjoyed this soup before adding the cheese and it is still so yummy!