This Broccoli Cheese Soup is easy, creamy, and a perfect cozy classic. A silky-smooth soup base, little bites of just-right broccoli and carrots, and some sharp creamy cheddar cheese to finish it off.
Basic + Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup
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There are no words to describe how delicious this soup was! I made it exactly according to the recipe and there wasn’t a drop left after my husband got a hold of it.
Hillary
Broccoli Cheese Soup For Life.
Hello and welcome to your fall life.
I would like to campaign for you to enter into fall soup season with this cozy classic Broccoli Cheese Soup. It is a hug-in-a-bowl that is not only *easy to make* but honestly puts Panera’s version to shame. Ooooh yes, I said it!
Listen, I truly love Panera, but side-by-side with this comforting pot of creaminess gently bubbling away on the stove, with the FRESH broccoli and carrots, and the glorious cheddar cheese that you ate straight off the cutting board shredded by hand, there is no comparing.
If this soup isn’t the dictionary definition of fall cozy…
Well, there’s not even anything to say because it is. It just really is.
Ingredients In Broccoli Cheese Soup
Broccoli cheese soup, in case you needed reminding, is going to bring several good things into your life:
- Butter and garlic and onions.
- A silky-smooth soup base of cream and broth.
- Little bite-sized bits of just-right broccoli.
- Thinly sliced carrots.
- A sharp, creamy finish from cheddar cheese.
And there’s salt, there’s pepper, and there’s paprika to season, but hello VERY IMPORTANT there’s also hot crusty bread for dipping.
It’s flavorful, it’s veg-loaded and fresh, but it’s also extremely comforting, unassuming, and mellow. And I think we could all use a little more mellow right about now, yes?
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
Click here to watch step-by-step instructions for this recipe!
Alright, let’s do this! Just a few steps and you’re in creamy, dreamy, broccoli cheese soup heaven.
- Sauté The Aromatics: Butter, onion, and garlic. All the good house smells are happening!
- Make The Creamy Base: You’ll start by making a roux (don’t worry, you’ve got this!) and then will whisk in the milk and half and half.
- Add Veggies and Spices: Broccoli and carrots are ready for their moment!
- Finish With Cheese: Extra sharp cheddar cheese, please! Stir it in and you’ve done it! Broccoli cheese soup at the ready.
What To Serve with Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Salad: I would recommend this Simple Green Salad! It offsets the heavy creaminess of the soup really nicely and tastes so fresh alongside it.
- Sandwich: Almost like a little Panera you-pick-two! This is great with a turkey sandwich, or if you really want to lean into the cheesiness, a grilled cheese.
- Bread: Some simple toasted bread is perfect, but I also LOVE this garlic bread for dipping.
Common Questions About This Broccoli Cheese Soup
Can I use just one type of milk?
You should be able to use all milk or all half and half rather than 1 cup of each if you only have one of the two. Averie’s recipe suggests fat-free half and half as the creamy thickener, and I know several people who swear by that for other soups as well, but that’s not an ingredient I usually keep in my fridge. I wanted to make a version with what I almost always have in my fridge (which is whole milk, and half and half) and it worked beautifully!
Does this work with frozen broccoli?
Yes! If you’d like to wait a bit to put the frozen broccoli in (maybe five minutes after the carrots), that might make things a little less mushy.
Can you freeze this soup?
We froze a batch and reheated in both the microwave and on the stovetop. Both reheating methods work well! Just give the soup a good stir before serving.
How can I make this vegan?
We’ve got a recipe for that! Made with almond milk, lots of veggies, nutritional yeast, and some eat-straight-off-the-pan croutons. Check it out here!
How long can you store leftover soup in the fridge?
This keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge, but I’d try to eat it in within the first two days! If it’s too thick, just add a little bit of water or broth to loosen it up.
Can you add meat to broccoli cheese soup?
I actually like this best without meat. But if you wanted to add some extra protein, shredded chicken breast would be best here!
This recipe was inspired by some intense Google searching to find the very best method of making broccoli cheese soup – and the Averie Cooks recipe was the clear winner of the internet, so that is what largely inspired this recipe! The only changes I made were using two different types of full-fat dairy because that’s what I normally keep stocked, and a slight tweak of the seasoning.
Watch How To Make This Soup
Basic + Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
This Broccoli Cheese Soup is easy, creamy, and a perfect cozy classic. A silky-smooth soup base, little bites of just-right broccoli and carrots, and some sharp creamy cheddar cheese to finish it off.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup broccoli stems, chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2–3 cups broccoli florets, chopped into very small pieces
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- an 8-ounce block of good quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Sauté garlic and onion: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and broccoli stems; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Build your roux: Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the soup pot. When butter is melted, add flour to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until flour is thickened. Slowly pour in the milk and half and half, whisking constantly. (It will start thick but eventually it will thin out and resemble a creamy soup base.) Continue to thin it out, gradually whisking in the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, whisking occasionally to reincorporate the skin that may form.
- Add broccoli: When the soup base is thickened nicely, stir in the broccoli, carrots, and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the broccoli bits are bright green and fork-tender.
- Add cheese: Transfer the pot off of heat and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes. Stir in most of the cheese until melted. Serve in bowls with a little extra cheese + a hunk of crusty bread for dunking – and yes, it’s okay to cry tears of cozy joy! This is a happy moment!
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: broccoli cheese soup, broccoli cheddar soup, soup season, broccoli cheddar, Panera broccoli cheese soup
Three More Cheesy Soup Recipes
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our completely delicious broccoli recipes page. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Broccoli Carrot Dinner Dutch Oven Fall Kid-Friendly Lunch Main Dishes Quick and Easy Recipes Soups Stovetop Vegetarian
September 8, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Wonderful recipe! I will be making again. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious! It came together quickly and easily- perfect for this snow day. We have 2 adults and 3 kids and it was the perfect amount for us and no leftovers.
This was really good! And the directions were perfect.
I diced up the optional broccoli stems and it was a nice touch. Also, I used chicken bone broth to add some protein…
I made this tonight & it was extremely bland. I was disappointed & I won’t be making it again. Sorry to disappoint.
Oh my, this is so good!! Thank you! Immediately sent the recipe to my daughter 🙃
This was so delicious, and an easy win to get some veggies in my kiddos! Will absolutely make again and recommend!
Love simple good soups!!
Easy to make and delicious! I blended half my soup with an immersion blender and left the other half of the broccoli and carrots chunky. We loved it!
We love this soup!
Hi, I love this soup and have made it before! It’s my daughter’s favorite. However, due to time constraints tomorrow, I am wondering if I can adjust this to a crockpot recipe. Have you ever tried it in the crockpot?
Going in for the second time with this recipe! It’s perfect! My 15 y/o has put it on his top list. Thank you!
This was just the perfect lunch!! I was randomly in the mood for this cozy lunch today (maybe its the fall weather) and it came out perfect! Very quick and easy. Baby liked it too which is a bonus 🙂
“melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and broccoli stems; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.” You messed me up with this instruction. I put it all in like stated but watched the video after and saw that only the onion and garlic go in before the flour. Maybe want to edit that.
Such a great, easy recipe. Everyone enjoyed it. I added crumbled bacon to the top for an extra touch. Definitely saving this one!!
This looks delicious! I love how easy you explained this to us! I will defiantly be making this in the future!
This dish looks incredible! The ingredients blend so well together, and the step-by-step instructions make it super easy to recreate. Can’t wait to give it a try—thanks for sharing!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious! The combination of flavors sounds amazing, and the instructions are so clear and easy to follow. I can’t wait to try it out—thank you for sharing!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!!!
Are there any alternatives we can use?
I’ve made this soup many times for my family and we love it! Super simple to make and perfect for this cold weather. One thing I wanted to share in case it helps someone else with a similar issue, I decided to add the carrots at the same time as the onions to ensure they cook longer. I was finding if I waited to add them when the recipe says to they were not tender enough. Maybe I needed to chop them a bit thinner, but adding them earlier works too.
Great post! I love how you broke down the recipe into easy-to-follow steps, and the photos make it look so delicious. I’m definitely trying this out soon—thanks for sharing!
I found sourdough bread bowls at our local Festival grocery store in the bakery. I had to make this soup to go inside! It was delicious on a below freezing day.
Made this for my family on a bitter cold day in January. LOVED it! It was great even before the cheese was added. Thanks Lindsey!
Can this be made in an Instapot?
Delicious! I used almond milk and used the immersion blender to break up the broccoli.