This 30 minute easy broccoli cheddar soup is made with big pieces of broccoli, shredded carrots and cheddar cheese. It's smooth, creamy and cheesy! Grab the bread for dipping and don't be shy on refills.
This recipe was originally published on September 8, 2020.
I love soup season.
I love sweater weather.
But I really, really love, broccoli cheddar soup. Hands down one of my all time favorite soups.
Maybe because I've convinced myself that it's partially sort of healthy. Broccoli is the main ingredient after all, right? Right. That's our story. Let's roll with it.
If you love this than you'll adore these recipes for creamy chicken gnocchi soup, homemade chicken noodle soup and creamy tomato basil soup.
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Or it could just be because this particular recipe is insanely delicious, super easy to make and always turns out the same. It's one of my oldest recipes so it's been tested time and time again.
It's made with cheddar cheese. No processed cheese. Big chunks of broccoli, you won't find any little flecks of broccoli bit in this recipe. Shredded carrots, because it gives it so much flavor.
Broccoli cheddar soup should be hearty and packed full of broccoli. Panera's is decent-ish, but it's basically all cheese and there's barely any broccoli in it. Not cool.
How To Thicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Using flour to make a roux is one way the soup will get thickened. The other is by using the cheddar cheese.
This recipe calls for thickening the soup twice, at two different times in the cooking process.
The first time is at the beginning, it calls for adding butter and flour, stirring to make a roux and adding broth. Everything get's brought to a strong boil.
The second time is when you add the cheddar cheese into the soup. Before putting it right it, sprinkle flour over the shredded cheese and then add it.
This makes the soup extra creamy and helps with the last bit of thickening.
How To Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
30 minutes is all you need to make this.
You'll start with sautéing onions and nutmeg together, in butter. This helps release all the nutmeg flavor by adding it in the beginning. Next it gets thickened with flour.
Then add the liquids, vegetables and a bay leaf (my secret ingredient).
It will need to simmer for 20 minutes. After that you can add your cheese and it's ready to serve.
And I can't stress enough to shred your own cheese for this recipe. Pre-packaged cheese will not melt the same because it's usually coated in something. So get a block of cheddar, and grate away.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions when it comes to broccoli cheddar soup.
Once you add the flour to the butter, then add the broth, you should let it boil, this helps it to thicken. As the soup starts to cool, it thickens quite a bit, let it rest a few minutes more.
If you don't add flour as the thickener, you could try replacing flour with corn starch, however I have not tested this method of preparation.
Unfortunately I have not tried this method so I can't say whether or not it will be successful prepared this way.
If you used pre-shredded packaged cheese, this is most likely your culprit. Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated in something and it doesn't melt smoothly.
You overheated the dairy in the recipe. The half and half and cheeses must be incorporated into the soup last and on low heat. If it's too hot the dairy will seize and curdle.
Soup Recipes To Try
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Copycat Soup – a true copycat recipe, this taste just like the original (I’ve been told better)
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – made with egg noodles and all the classic chicken noodle soup ingredients like carrots, celery and onions
- Loaded Baked Potato Chowder – it’s like taking a bite out of an actual loaded up baked potato
- Lasagna Tortellini Soup – if you love lasagna then you will love this soup
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo – served with rice, this comforting gumbo is a family favorite recipe
- Creamy Tomato Red Pepper Tortellini Soup – a little spicy
- Tender Pot Roast French Onion Soup – pot roast, onions and tons of ooey gooey cheese
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup – a classic tomato soup recipe
- Freezer Friendly Chicken Tortilla Soup – this soup freezes like a dream for those nights you just don’t want to cook
30 Minute Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Smooth and creamy broccoli cheddar soup made with big pieces of broccoli, shredded carrots and sharp cheddar cheese. Grab the bread for dipping and don't be shy on refills.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ onion, diced
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp flour
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 c half and half
- 2 large carrots, peeled and grated on the small grate side
- 2 broccoli heads, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 oz medium cheddar
- ½ c fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot over medium/low heat and add the butter, diced onions and nutmeg
- Saute the onions until translucent, 3-5 minutes
- Add the flour, whisk for 1 minute
- Add the chicken broth, whisking constantly (pour in ½ cup at a time, so it blends smoothly)
- Turn heat up to high and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low
- Add the grated carrots, broccoli and the bay leaf
- Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked (a bit more than al dente, but not mushy)
- Stir in the half and half (very important to do this on low heat, see notes)
- Sprinkle a bit of extra flour on your grated cheeses, and toss it around to coat
- Add the cheeses to the soup, handful at a time and not all at once, (see notes) whisking each addition until fully melted
- Once you take the soup off the heat it will thicken more, let it rest a bit
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Serve
Notes
Tossing the shredded cheese with just a sprinkle of flour prior to mixing in to the soup gives the soup an overall very creamy consistency.
It's very important to not overheat the half and half, and cheese - this could cause your soup to be curdled. Make sure you are adding in your dairy on low heat.
The cheese should be incorporated little by litttle, a small handful at a time. If you add all the cheese at once the soup may not be smooth.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 935mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Maria Swartz
I tried this recipe and it was so easy to make!! It will be added as a regular! Hubby and I loved it. It was a great as left overs for the next day as well!
Tara Moore
Thanks Maria!! 🙂