Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

001

I hope you all had a happy, joyful holiday rich with good food and the company of loved family and friends! I certainly had a special Christmas spending it with my in-laws, cozying up to cups of hot cocoa, making hundreds of homemade ravioli, and spending quiet quality time telling new and old stories. Though my own parents were in my thoughts, it was a treat to be with my husband’s family and I’m looking forward to seeing all of my family again in the coming year.

Now, onto to the soup: After a rushed day of traveling back home yesterday, a pot of this comforting, warm broccoli cheddar soup is just what we needed to relax. It’s so simple to whip up, and as you can imagine needs only a handful of basic ingredients. This stuff is seriously lick-the-bowl good with a hunk of crusty bread!

Here’s how it’s done… After cooking chopped onions in a bit of butter (is there any better aroma?), swirl in more butter, flour, half-and-half and chicken stock. Let it bubble, then simmer. Toss in the chopped broccoli and a bit of freshly grated carrot, along with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer again, and then blend it all into a velvety, smooth consistency with an immersion blender or food processor. Stir in the gooey cheddar, and voila! Rich, hearty and absolutely scrumptious broccoli cheddar soup.

Cook it, share it and enjoy it to the fullest while swimsuit season is still far off!

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Yield: 5 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/2 medium chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 lb. 16 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add additional butter and flour, whisking for 3-5 minutes to create a roux. Whisk while adding the half-and-half and chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Stir in the broccoli florets and grated carrot. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.
  3. Remove soup from heat and pulse with an immersion blender until smooth. Or, puree the soup in batches in a food processor until smooth, adding mixture back to the pot.
  4. Return pot to low heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve.
  5. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Join the Conversation

  1. Sounds perfect and rich. Happy New Year!

  2. Yum! I love broccoli cheddar soup. So easy to pull together for a good lunch!

  3. My kids will LOVE this recipe. They are big fans of broccoli but only with cheese. This is just perfect. Happy new year!

  4. This looks wonderful, Georgia. I’m a fool for soup. This sounds so hearty and delicious!

  5. 5 stars
    Buzzed this recipe! I loved this recipe so much!! Would love to see you on Foodbuzz top 9!

  6. Yum! This is the perfect winter dinner.

  7. Oh Georgia, broccoli cheese soup is my 3rd son’s absolute fav! I can’t wait to try this for him.

  8. Yum…this is just my kind of soup! I can even get Michael to eat his veggies when they taste as good as this. Glad you had a nice Christmas, Georgia!

  9. What a lovely and rich wintry soup!

  10. What a glorious soup Georgia! A long time favorite of mine and I just love this recipe :)
    Sounds like you had a lovely Christmas, and wishing you a wonderful 2012!

  11. that. looks. incredible.

  12. Broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorites – looks so good, wish I was enjoying a big bowl right now!

  13. Sound like a perfect soup at this time of the year!!!! Very pretty and yummy recipe!!!xoxo

  14. 5 stars
    Just made this yesterday, very good!

  15. Posting on Pinterest with a link back to your page! Thanks, sounds amazing!

  16. 5 stars
    I have always wanted to make this and you inspired me to do so it is is super easy and yummy!!

  17. 5 stars
    Saw this on pinterest and I am making it soon!

  18. 5 stars
    Thank you for the delicious recipe. After a bean soup disaster earlier in the week my husband was overjoyed to eat this and had two huge bowlfuls along with half a loaf of rosemary sourdough bread. I used Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper Cheddar and it made the soup even more delicious in my opinion!

  19. Saw this on Pinterest. Will be the first thing I make!

  20. Made it today, and it was delicious. I only used 5% cream as this is what I had available. It is still very creamy. This soup is also quite nice even if you do not add the cheese (even though everything is better with cheese.)
    Thanks, it is certainly a keeper!

  21. I love broccoli and cheddar soup, in fact I just made some last week!

  22. Really great recipe! :)

    I added a little more onion, some minced garlic and some shredded chicken breast. Oh and I used whole milk to reduce some calories. Served with homemade breadsticks. It turned out yummy. Thank you for the recipe:)
    Heidi
    chickhardware.blogspot.com

  23. Hi Georgia, i really wanna try this recipe, but i´m not familiar with the “2 1/2 cups half-and-half” – half and half of what?
    Please let me know.
    Thanks

  24. I LOVE this type of soup and have never made it yet. I am for sure going to try this recipe.

  25. Maja – Half-and-half is a mixture of one-half milk, and one-half heavy cream that you can find in the dairy aisle of any grocery store.

  26. this is good

  27. Saw this on Pinterest and it’s on my to-try list, especially since my boyfriend LOVES broccoli cheddar soup

  28. Great Recipe and thanks for sharing this on pinterest. This is the 2nd time making it and we love it!!

  29. 5 stars
    I just made this, and it was good!

  30. 5 stars
    Found your recipe on pinterest…..and i’ve already made it twice. It’s so yummy!!!!!! Thanks for sharing:)

  31. Anonymous says:

    Can i make this soup and not blend it and be like a chunkier soup or is it detremental to blend the soup

  32. The soup won’t be smooth if you don’t blend it, and honestly I don’t think you’d like the result. I’d recommend blending… it’s much more enjoyable that way!

  33. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I made it last night and both my husband and 3 year old loved it. Mine however, after blending it, did not have a beautiful golden color like the picture here…it was more green from all the broccoli. Still good though and no one else seemed to notice. Thanks for sharing! I’m new to your blog. Love it!

  34. you sau 1 tables spoon melted butter then 2 under 1/4 cup melted butter, which one is it ? haha

  35. As the recipe clearly states, you first add butter to saute the onions, and then more butter to create a roux.

  36. 5 stars
    I made this today! Delicious! My mother in law was over and she loved it too. I didn’t have the half and half and so I substituted milk instead, and I used green onions instead of white, added a little more butter and another 1/4 cup flour, and poured in Mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar. It turned out wonderful!

  37. Anonymous says:

    Can this be made in advance and reheated or would the cheddar solidify and ‘split’ the soup when it cools down. Thanks in advance.

  38. I recommend making the soup same-day, but if you made it one day in advance and simmered on the stovetop to reheat, you should have success.

  39. Anonymous says:

    Thanks for the quick response. I’m currently chopping the onion for my first batch. Kevin, Ireland.

  40. Anonymous says:

    5 stars
    I made this last night and my family loved it! Will definatly be on the menu again!!

  41. 5 stars
    Very good recipe. Thanks for posting. I made it this morning and my 18 month old son and I are enjoying it now for lunch!

  42. Can’t you make this without adding flour and making the roux? I’m diabetic and avoiding the white flour, so would like to substitute or leave that out. Suggestions please?

  43. Kathy – You can skip the flour. Just saute the onions in butter, then add the half/half and chicken stock, preparing the recipe as normal.

  44. Question.. Do you think veggie stock can be used in place of chicken stock?

  45. Sure, you can use vegetable stock!

  46. How could I make this using the slow cooker? Will it come out the same?

  47. This soup only takes an hour, so I’m not sure why you would want to use a slow cooker. You could try it in a low-heat slow cooker by using the same method as in the recipe, but since I’ve never made it this way I can’t recommend it.

  48. I just pinned this- it looks wonderful!! Thanks for sharing <3

  49. 5 stars
    We just finished this for dinner!! It was so good!! Will be making again!!!

  50. This looks wonderful and am trying a gluten-free version. If it turns out I will post it on my blog, “lifewithkeo.com”. Thanks for the work and sharing!!!

  51. Yes, finally a recipe that sounds yummy and doesn’t use canned condensed soup as an ingredient. I’m definitely going to try this one!

  52. 5 stars
    This is awesome!! I added 4 oz velveeta!!!

  53. 5 stars
    This is fantastic!!!! Pretending it is cold in Arizona haha and we are now having Tuesdays as soup night!

  54. 5 stars
    This soup was HEAVEN! I stuck to your recipe with one exception – I didn’t have enough sharp cheese so I used some of my mexican blend cheese… it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you! :)

  55. Can’t wait to cook this tomorrow with my homegrown broccoli for my family, after reading all the positive comments I am excited!

  56. 5 stars
    Georgia, we all loved the soup! My son did request bigger chunks of broccolli next time! Such a great way to get the veggies in kiddos!Thank you so much for posting! :)

  57. Can’t wait to try this! Do you know if it will freeze well (leftovers)

  58. I haven’t tried to, but I think it would freeze fine! Just reheat on the stovetop and add a bit more water or chicken stock to thin it out, if needed.

  59. Would love to do this but have to convert it to a low fat soup first… very rich recipe.

  60. 5 stars
    Just made this today and it was delicious!

  61. 5 stars
    after reading the comments I will add some mexican cheese, I have that. Also I cooked it on the stove top but am keeping it warm on a crockpot, they do that at UNOS and its fine. wonderful recipe! thank you!

  62. 5 stars
    Just added the cheese to let simmer. I am so ready to try this. It looks delicious! Thanks for posting the receipe for us all to try!

  63. Most homemade chicken stocks are made using onions, so no, it shouldn’t affect the taste dramatically. But if you do want to omit some onion, I wouldn’t leave it out entirely.

  64. You are AWESOME! Thank you so much for the quick response! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

  65. 5 stars
    I’m making this, because I can’t find the recipe I used last time, and yours looks and sounds great! But one question: If my chicken stock was made using an onion, should I leave the onion out of the soup?

  66. 5 stars
    Not too oniony at all. Yum. The kids didn’t like it, but I did. So, if they’re not going to eat it anyway, next time I’m going to roast a bit of broccoli to add back into the soup in chunks so it’s got a bit more texture.

    I always feel good having a few servings of home-made soup waiting in the freezer for me.

  67. 5 stars
    This was so simple and delicious. Very hearty. Thanks for the recipe!

  68. 5 stars
    we did this one tonight YUUUUUUMY! Winner! love it

  69. 5 stars
    Making this right now for the third time. It’s delicious and easy. I use low sodium chicken broth and 2% milk but I don’t skimp on the real butter. It tastes great!

  70. 5 stars
    I’ve made this a couple of times so far & it goes over very, very well…. not just with little me but also the big burly guys in my house (my 19 yr old son, 25 yr old nephew & my 66 year old dad). I sub the 1/2 & 1/2 with Morning Moos brand dry milk (at double strength) & I use bouillon powder added to boiling water for the broth & adjust my seasoning accordingly. With my son aspiring to be a UFC competitor, me trying to regain the nice figure I so easily held just a couple years ago (40-ish sucks), my nephew who seems to always have “the munchies”, eh-hem..Lol… & my dad who is supposed to be on a low acid diet this is sort of a middle of the road recipe. For those of us paying attention to weight, as always, it’s all about portion size, for those looking for comfort food there’s not much better than melted cheese & for those looking for low acid, well.. it has much less acid than the dish the (dieting) cook (ME) probably would have chosen.

  71. 5 stars
    LOVE your recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    Simphomemade.blogspot.com

  72. 5 stars
    I just cooked this today and followed the recipe exactly. It came out SO AWESOME!!! We will be making this several times a year. Thank you SO much for sharing your recipe:)

  73. Have you tried freezing the soup for a later date?

  74. Hi Darlene – Yes, it freezes well! Just thaw on your countertop or in your fridge first. Then, reheat on the stovetop and add a bit more water or chicken stock to thin it out, if needed.

  75. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight. It was a hit with the family- great flavor!

  76. 5 stars
    Made this tonight!!! It was delicious!

  77. 5 stars
    I use this recipe all the time. Thanks :)

  78. 5 stars
    I just made this last night and it was delicious!
    I did get the graininess from the cheese which I also sometimes get when I make mac n cheese from scratch. I’ll have to figure that one out!

    For those who like chunkier soups like me, I poured half of the chunky soup out of the pot, immersion blended the other half and poured the chunky half back in. Best of both worlds!

    For the commenters who got a greenish soup instead of golden, perhaps you used white cheddar instead of yellow?

    Thanks for the great recipe! I’ll be sure to make this again. Perhaps I can convert this into a vegan creation!

  79. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe. Instead of the cream I used Greek yogurt mixed really well with skim milk. I couldn’t tell the difference. After blending I added a little lemon juice. Delicious!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close
The Comfort of Cooking © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
Close
Skip to Recipe