Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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This Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the perfect recipe to cozy up during cold winter days. This velvety rich soup is made with wholesome broccoli, rich sharp cheddar cheese, and aromatic spices like oregano and thyme to awaken the senses. You will love this comforting soup recipe to fill your belly on a chilly afternoon or evening and enjoy the delicious flavors from the autumn garden!
savoring the season:
Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden. Where I live, broccoli is usually ready for picking at the end of spring or into early summer and in the late autumn months. The lovely green heads remind me of a little forest of trees! This broccoli cheddar soup recipe has a lovely blend of flavors with savory broccoli, onion, and garlic, and of course the delicious robustness of sharp cheddar cheese. It’s so much yummier when you make it at home!
Why You’ll Love this Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Easy to Make. This recipe is incredibly easy to make with simple, wholesome ingredients that you can find at any grocery store or market! You only need a few tools to make it, and many of the electric appliances can be swapped with handheld tools in case you don’t have a blender or food processor!
Fast Dinner Recipe. You will love how quickly you can make your own broccoli cheddar soup at home. You can easily have this soup ready for dinner in about 60 minutes or less.
Make It Vegetarian or Vegan. This broccoli cheddar soup recipe can easily be made vegetarian or vegan! Simply swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth. If you want to avoid using dairy, swap out the ingredients for vegan-friendly dairy products like plant-based cheese and coconut milk.
ingredients for broccoli cheddar soup:
Broccoli. This recipe uses 3 cups of broccoli florets, or about 2 large heads of fresh broccoli.
Onion. You can use a yellow or white onion.
Garlic. You will need whole cloves of garlic for this recipe.
Butter & Oil.
Herbs. For a delightful flavor pairing, oregano and thyme are absolutely delicious mixed with these cold-hardy vegetables. Use fresh or dried herbs.
Red Pepper Flakes. For a little kick, add some red pepper flakes. Otherwise, this ingredient can be omitted.
Flour. To help thicken the soup, you will need a bit of flour.
Broth. You can use chicken or vegetable broth for this recipe.
Heavy Cream. To give the soup a delightful creamy texture, heavy cream or half/half is added at the very end. You can swap this out for coconut milk, if preferred.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese. For this recipe, I believe that sharp yellow cheddar cheese is best. It’s just a classic. however, a white cheddar broccoli soup would be delicious, too. Parmesan tastes delightful sprinkled over the top!
how to make broccoli cheddar soup:
Step One: On an ungreased baking sheet, arrange the broccoli florets, onion, and garlic so that they are laying in a single even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Toss until all of the vegetables are well coated with the oil and seasonings. Then, roast the vegetables in the oven at 400° F (204° C) for about 20 to 25 minutes or until they are softened and lightly charred. You can reserve a few pieces of broccoli for garnish, if you wish!
Step Two: In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the roasted broccoli, onion, and garlic to the pot. After tossing in the hot butter for about 1 to 2 minutes, season all of the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Then, add the flour and toss to coat everything. Cook the flour onto the vegetables for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step Three: Begin to slowly add the broth, about 1 cup (240 ml) at a time, stirring constantly. The soup should begin to thicken up fairly quickly, coming to a boil. Continue to add the remaining broth until you have used it all, the soup is slightly thickened, and it has come to a boil.
Step Four: Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot, letting the soup cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the broccoli is fork tender.
Step Five: Uncover the pot and transfer about 1/2 of the soup to a blender or food processor. Blend the soup until it's almost smooth but still a bit chunky. Add the blended soup back into the soup pot and stir everything to mix it well.*
Step Six: Finally, stir in the heavy cream and cheddar cheese until the cheese has melted entirely into the soup, about 2 minutes. Serve the soup hot with broccoli garnish and a sprinkle of more cheddar cheese and parmesan.
Tips for Making Perfect Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
Making a Roux. This soup has a “roux” to give it its thickness and creaminess. If you would like to avoid using flour, you can easily add in a small peeled baking potato to this recipe. You will want to blend about 3/4 of the soup instead, and the potato will help to give the final soup that similar creaminess!
Using Frozen Broccoli. You can definitely use frozen broccoli for this recipe if you do not have fresh broccoli. Follow the cooking instructions as normal.
Avoid Pre-Shredded Cheese. While you can certainly use pre-shredded cheese for this recipe if that is what you have or like, you may notice that the cheese does not coagulate into the soup, or blend well, and you are left with big lumps of cheese. This is because it has added ingredients, like starches, to prevent the pieces of cheese from sticking to each other in the bag. Using a block of cheese can help prevent this from happening!
SErving Suggestions for a Cozy Fall Evening:
A bowl of creamy, homemade broccoli cheddar soup is the ultimate cozy meal for a crisp fall or chilly winter evening. Serve it with a side of warm, crusty bread—sourdough or a rustic baguette is perfect for dipping. Add a simple, autumn-inspired salad with greens, apple slices, candied nuts, and a sprinkle of goat cheese for a refreshing balance to the richness of the soup. Pair the meal with a warm apple cider or a mulled white wine, and enjoy it by candlelight or a crackling fire for a truly comforting, seasonal dining experience.
Recipes to SErve with Broccoli Cheddar Soup:
final thoughts:
Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a lovely recipe that can be made entirely without meat, making it an excellent vegetarian lunch or supper option! This is one my favorite savory meals, and I often make this for dinner on nights where I did not plan ahead! Whether you’re curled up by the fire or sharing in laughter around the table, let this soup be your companion for an enchanted evening. Here’s to cozy evenings and hearty soups!
xoxo Kayla
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (29 g) salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp (32 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream or half/half
- 2 cups (300 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Begin by heating the olive oil and butter together in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Once the onion and garlic have softened, stir in the carrots and broccoli florets tossing to coat them in the oil. After cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes, season all of the vegetables with the oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Then, add the flour and toss to coat everything. Cook the flour onto the vegetables for about 2 minutes.
- Begin to slowly add the broth, about 1 cup (240 ml) at a time, stirring constantly. The soup should begin to thicken up fairly quickly, and you may need to lower the heat slightly. Stir in the bay leaves.
- Continue to stir until the soup is slightly thickened and has come to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot, letting the soup cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the broccoli is fork tender. Then, uncover the soup.
- Transfer about 1/2 of the soup to a blender or food processor and blend the soup until it's not quite smooth and still a bit chunky. Add the blended soup back into the soup pot and stir everything to mix it well. Then, stir in the heavy cream and cheddar cheese.
- Serve the soup hot with some warm homemade bread or pretzel buns!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
276Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
