This 30-minute broccoli cheddar soup recipe is the ULTIMATE comfort food! It's rich, creamy, super cheesy, and loaded with tender veggies.
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Broccoli cheddar soup is one of Jack’s favorite foods. Ask him about the version at Panera Bread, and he’ll go on and on about its creamy texture and rich, tangy, cheesy flavor. He never expected me to develop a broccoli cheddar soup recipe at home (unless you count this vegan twist), but with the holidays right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to surprise him with one.
So, on a gray, chilly day last weekend, when we were both craving comfort food, I finally made him this broccoli cheddar soup recipe. As we sat down with our steaming bowls, I waited anxiously to see what he’d think. I shouldn’t have worried. He took one taste and declared, “This recipe is even better than Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup!” A few minutes later, he was already heading back for seconds. I hope you love this recipe too!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this broccoli cheddar soup recipe:
- Broccoli, of course! Cut it into small, bite-sized pieces so that you get some in every spoonful of soup.
- Onion and garlic – They add savory depth of flavor.
- Butter and flour – They create a roux that thickens the soup.
- Milk – It perfects the soup’s creamy texture. Whole milk is traditional in broccoli cheese soup, and it works great here, but I often use unsweetened almond milk instead, and it works nicely too. The soup is a tad less thick, but it’s still delicious!
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- Carrot – You can finely chop it or julienne it. I personally like to julienne it because the shredded carrots remind me of grated cheese, and I think they give the soup a fun, extra-cheesy look.
- Dijon mustard – It adds tangy, peppery depth of flavor.
- Cheddar cheese – It wouldn’t be broccoli cheddar soup without it! Sharp cheddar cheese is my fave, but feel free to opt for a mild cheddar if your prefer.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
So creamy! So cheesy! Who wants a bowl?
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Tips
- Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
- Whisk continuously when you add the flour and milk. At first, whisking prevents the flour from burning on the bottom of the pot with the butter. Once you add the milk, it evenly disperses the flour and butter in the liquid, thickening the soup and preventing lumps from forming.
- Go low and slow. When you add the cheese to the soup, make sure that the pot is over very low heat. If the heat is too high, the cheese won’t incorporate into the soup, giving it a thin, gloopy texture. I also recommend adding a little at a time and stirring well between additions.
- Reheat it on the stove. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat them, you’ll once again need to go low and slow. Skip the microwave, and warm the soup on the stovetop instead. Place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir occasionally until heated through. Reheated this way, the soup should stay thick and creamy. If you try to rush the process and crank up the heat, the soup will separate. Trust me, I learned the hard way!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Serving Suggestions
Make this broccoli cheese soup a meal by serving it with good crusty bread or a heap of homemade croutons. If you’re looking for something more to serve with it, I recommend a simple veggie side dish like one of these:
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Green Bean Salad
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Simple Green Salad
- Sautéed Kale
Enjoy!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this broccoli cheddar soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Vegan Broccoli Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Creamy Potato Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot, julienned or finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 heaping cups
- Homemade croutons, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously.
- Add the broth, broccoli, carrot, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Gradually add the cheese, stirring after each addition, until all the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season to taste and serve with croutons, if desired.
Thank you for the Amazing recipe! I had 2 extra cups of broccoli chopped up so added that to the the recipe for a total of 5 cups of broccoli. I added more water to the soup to compensate.
Also made the homemade croutons. Instead of throwing out the garlic in the garlic infused oil, I added this to the soup and pureed the soup with an immersion blender.
Best broccoli cheese soup I’ve tasted.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and wondering if I could substitute soy milk for the almond milk.
I just made it and it is lovely!! The only changes I made were I used gluten-free flour and low sodium chicken broth. At the end before adding the cheese I used my immersion blender to reduce the size of the chunks. I will absolutely make this again! So easy, nourishing, and delicious. I’m hoping it freezes well.
This was a wonderful soup on a fall day. I added a little Siracha for some zing.
Could I freeze this?
Thank you, Lu
This soup was amazing! Definitely will be a go-to for sure!
What is the nutritional value of this soup?
This is now my go to broccoli soup recipe. It came out perfect. thank you!
Can you use frozen broccoli? if so, would you thaw first?
I used frozen! I just threw it in right out of the freezer. I don’t think you would need to cook it very long as frozen broccoli is already partially cooked. Came out great!
Great recipe!
Wow delicious! I’ve made a lot of broccoli-cheddar soup recipes and this is the best so far. The only change I will make in the future is to use a bit less onion. Otherwise perfect. I wasn’t sure if the roux would come together because the onions soaked up most of the butter and I wasn’t able to cook the flour to the “nutty” stage. I wound up adding the almond milk and cooking the roux for a bit with it incorporated. The rest of the soup came together beautifully and it did not taste floury.
Made this for my dad. It’s phenomenal. Starbucks quality or better
Substituted veggie broth for chicken bouillon cube and 2 cups of water. couldnt taste the difference much and was equally as good as veggie broth. I just inhaled a bowl and will have some tomorrow. This recipe is very easy to follow! Thank you!~
Double the cheese and mustard for a good time
I really liked this recipe. Used unsweetened almond milk and vegetable broth. Made it gf by thickening the soup with a cornstarch slurry. In addition to the broccoli added a diced potatoe, diced carrots and leftover cauliflower florets. The soup was plentiful for dinner. Thank you. I’ll be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cathy!
Came out perfect!
So glad you loved it, Eve!
Wow…perfect.
So glad you loved it, Laurie!
Can I use frozen broccoli for this recipe
I used frozen broccoli and it turned out just fine!
Delish! I will add a potato next time to give it a little more body. A keeper!
So glad you loved it, Corinne!
I made this last night. It was amazing!
I used cream instead of milk. I used an immersion blender to make the soup creamy! Delicious
Sooo good! I added 5 Yukon gold potatoes and extra broccoli. I like to blend some of it and add it back in to thicken it. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it, Ashley!