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This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is one of our favorites!
This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is made with tender broccoli florets in a creamy cheesy broth.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Simple ingredients and a few steps make this a great weeknight meal.
- Use fresh or frozen broccoli for convenience.
- It’s creamy, savory, and flavorful and made with three cheeses and chicken broth.
- It’s a one-pot meal in a bowl. Serve it with homemade garlic bread or crunchy crostini as croutons.
Ingredients Tips for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Broccoli: Use either fresh or frozen broccoli florets, no need to thaw if it’s frozen.
- Cheese: Use sharp cheddar for the best flavor. I prefer to shred cheese from a block for the best results. You can use pre-shredded cheese; however, it may not melt as smoothly.
- Cream: Light cream or half and half make this soup nice and creamy without being too heavy.
- Broth: I prefer the flavor of chicken broth in this recipe, but you can use vegetable broth if desired.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the soup.
Switch It Up!
- For a heartier soup, add frozen diced potatoes to the soup in Step 2.
- Add leftover shredded chicken, diced ham, or sliced sausage for a meaty main dish.
- You can add other veggies like shredded carrots or cauliflower.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- In a soup pot, soften the onion and add most of the broccoli, broth, thyme, and cream cheese (full recipe below).
- Puree some of the soup, return to the pot with reserved broccoli, and add cornstarch and cream.
- Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and stir in the remainder of the cheeses.
Storing Leftover Soup
- Store leftover broccoli and cheddar soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Creamy Comfort Soups
Did you try this Broccoli Cheddar Soup? Leave a comment and rating below.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This savory broccoli cheddar soup is a creamy, comforting dish with three kinds of melted cheese and tender broccoli.
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 dried thyme leaves
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed
- 1½ cups half and half or evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in butter over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, chicken broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook for 2 minutes more to soften.
- With a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the cooked broccoli, coarsely chop it, and set it aside. Use an immersion blender* to blend the remaining soup.
- In a small bowl, whisk the 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, parmesan cheese, and the reserved chopped broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with additional cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use half and half, light cream 10-12% milk fat, or evaporated milk.
- You can use whole milk but the soup won’t be as rich, you may need extra cornstarch for thickening.
- For a stronger cheese flavor, use extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Leftovers should be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.25cup | Calories: 469 | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1726IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, 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.
Hi Holly..can I make and let sit till Hubby gets home. Won’t be for long.
Yes, this will work just fine. You can heat it on low if needed.
I don’t own an immersion blender. Is there something else I can use?
It will result in a chunkier soup, but you can use a potato masher and mash the ingredients instead.
I used my regular blender, just scooped it in and then put it back in the pot after it was blended. Just make sure the stream can escape the lid when blending!
loved this soup
I have been making this for 25 years . We add a splash or two of sherry at the end.
We love this soup and I have made many times. I omit the thyme and use one block cream cheese and use heavy cream instead of half and half. Otherwise I make it exactly as written. Love this site!
Perfect!!! This soup is so flavorful…way better than any other broccoli cheddar soup I have had before. Very easy to make…a one pot wonder! I used heavy cream instead of light cream, which made it the perfect consistency for my family’s tastes. I also used the immersion blender with all of the broccoli, but made sure to leave some larger chunks of broccoli. Absolutely perfect!
Delicious and easy to make.
Delicious! I skipped the cornstarch to cut carbs and added a teaspoon of Dijon (as I do for all cream soups). We will be adding this to our regular rotation. Thanks for another excellent recipe!
Great soup! I added a little more cheese than the directions listed but other than that I made as per directions. Thank you for fhe recipe!
How does this reheat in a crock pot? Low for a few hours? Does it separate while reheating?
We have only ever reheated this soup on low on the stovetop, but it should work to reheat in the crockpot as long as it’s on low. I would check it and stir after an hour and every half hour after that. Let us know how it goes, Janet!
I was excited to see a quick soup recipe. It took me longer than projected to make this after prepping all the ingredients. However, the taste of the finished soup, though fine, was very unremarkable. I think blanching the broccoli makes for a tastier and visually more appealing, if not less speedy soup. I also don’t think the carrots helped. It’s likely just my preference. I don’t care for sweetness at all in savory dishes.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this soup as much as we do, Mary!
Was really good for a Sunday night early dinner using pantry items and produce that was not used up by the end of the week! The only substitutes I used was 4 slices of cheese instead of shredded, (had no grater) did half butter (low butter) and half bacon grease, and used powdered coconut milk cos I didn’t have any half and half, milk or evaporated milk. Cured my Panera craving!