Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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This Broccoli Cheddar Soup is creamy, super cheesy, quick and easy. Made entirely in one pot with simple ingredients, you can have this scrumptious soup ready in just 30 minutes.
The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
I admit that broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorite soups and trust me when I say it’s not the broccoli so much as that cheesy, creamy sauce. Because let’s face it, broccoli cheese soup is really a cheesy sauce with broccoli thrown in it, why? Perhaps to make us feel better about eating all that cheese. However, broccoli really does go well in this cheesy soup and yes, it does make me feel better about eating it.
Why is this soup so good and why are so many of us obsessed with it? It just is. Once you try it, you’ll get hooked. It’s just as addictive as my Creamy Loaded Potato Soup!
There also is lots of cheddar cheese and of course broccoli in this soup, so it’s not all bad. You can also make this a bit healthier if you chose to by using milk instead of half and half. However, if you’re going to make broccoli cheese soup, I suggest you go all out and enjoy it as it’s meant to be enjoyed. Creamy, cheesy and delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Quick and Easy! With very little prep involved, just a few basic ingredients, and a big pot you can make this simple broccoli cheese soup recipe in just 30 minutes.
- Creamy Cheesy Broccoli! This delicious soup is cheesy, creamy, and full of bite-size pieces of perfectly cooked broccoli. It’s comfort food at its best and lick the bowl good.
- Meal Prep Perfect! Soup is your best friend when it comes to make-ahead meals. It keeps well in the fridge for days and in the freezer for months and tastes just as good.
- Butter – I used unsalted to control the sodium.
- Onion – White or yellow, chopped.
- Flour – Trusty all-purpose flour to help thicken our soup.
- Cream – I used half and half cream for a little lightness, but feel free to go all out full fat with heavy cream.
- Chicken Broth – I always opt for low sodium to control the salt levels.
- Seasoning – Salt, white pepper (black pepper can be used) and nutmeg.
- Broccoli – I used an entire head of broccoli florets, about 1 lb.
- Velveeta – Velveeta cheese, cubed. See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info. If you want to omit this, just replace it with more cheddar.
- Cheese – Cheddar cheese, shredded.
- Parsley – Chopped parsley is going to add some nice color to the dish, we always eat with our eyes first!
You will never want to buy store-bought canned broccoli cheddar soup ever again! This recipe is going to show you how simple it is to make homemade broccoli cheese soup in just 30 minutes!
To start, melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or large pot on the stove top. Then add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until it begins to soften and become slightly brown.
After you’ve cooked the onions for a bit, we need to create the foundation of the soup by using the flour as a thickening agent. To do this, just sprinkle the flour over the onion and then gently whisk it together with the butter and onion. Now, let the mixture cook for about 2 minutes, but don’t let it brown. You just want to cook it long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
With the roux made, slowly whisk in the half and half. Do not dump it in all at once! Then after it’s fully incorporated into the roux and smooth, whisk in the chicken broth or vegetable broth. You need to keep whisking to remove any lumps and make sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Next, season the base of the soup with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Then bring it to a boil and add the broccoli pieces. Now, simmer the soup for about 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
Once the broccoli is cooked and tender to your liking, add the Velveeta and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Then stir constantly until both of the cheeses are completely melted. Finally, taste the soup and add salt and black pepper if needed.
To serve, ladle the broccoli cheddar soup into your favorite bowls. Then garnish with the remaining shredded cheese and fresh parsley. This yummy soup pairs really well with my Artisan Bread or Potato Bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh Or Frozen Broccoli?
I always recommend using the freshest ingredients for best results, but you do have options! You can use pre-cut fresh broccoli, or frozen florets.
Why Velveeta?
This is one ingredient I’m not so proud to use, however, I’m willing to take all the flak from you, only because I think Velveeta is a must in this soup. I know, hate on me all you want, but it’s what makes this soup super creamy and smooth.
Do I Have To Use Velveeta?
If you are 100% opposed to using Velveeta, then by all means substitute it with more cheddar cheese or some good Monterey cheese. While it will still be a very delicious soup, Velveeta takes it to the next level of creaminess and smoothness, if you know what I mean!
Can I Make This Soup In Advance?
You certainly can! This soup can be made ahead of time and frozen in freezer bags or airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months! Your soup may not be quite as thick when thawed and may have a different consistency, but will still taste great! To thaw, heat on the stove and simply whisk the soup back together. You can also add some more cream, or even cream cheese to make it creamy again!
How To Serve
This broccoli cheese soup is perfect to serve anytime of year, especially when you’re in need of some comfort. Serve it up with a side of crusty bread to soak up all that delicious, cheesy broth.
Expert Tips
- If you want to turn this into a vegetarian soup, just use vegetable stock instead.
- If preferred, you can puree the broccoli in the soup for a thicker texture, but I prefer the bigger florets in the soup.
- Trust me on the nutmeg! It adds such a nice depth of flavor to the soup. Brings the entire dish together.
- Make sure to taste for seasoning. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to taste, so season to your liking.
Storing
Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
When reheating your soup, you’ll want to use the “low and slow” method. To avoid that grainy texture that is common in cheesy soups, make sure to not let your soup get too hot too fast! It can be reheated in a pot on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.
Freezing
This broccoli cheese soup can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Other Delicious Soup Recipes To Try
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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half cream
- 6 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 head broccoli florets (about 1 lb)
- 1 cup velveeta (cubed *)
- 3 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and starts to lightly brown.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and gently whisk it with the butter and onion. Cook it for about 2 minutes to remove that raw starchy flavor.
- Slowly whisk in the half and half. Once completely mixed in, pour in the chicken broth and whisk to remove lumps and to scrape away the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, if any.
- Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a boil then add the broccoli pieces. Cook until the broccoli is tender; about 10 minutes.
- Add the velveeta and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, stirring constantly until the cheeses have completely melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
- Top with remaining cheddar cheese and garnish with parsley.
Notes
- Half and half, also known as half cream is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream and it averages 10 to 12% fat.
- If preferred, you can puree the broccoli in the soup for a thicker texture, but I prefer the bigger florets in the soup.
- * If you don’t want to use Velveeta you can substitute it with more cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, it’s just that Velveeta will make the soup more creamier and smooth.
- You can also use pre-cut fresh or frozen florets.
- It’s how I trick my mind. If you want to turn this into a vegetarian soup, just use vegetable stock instead.
- Trust me on the nutmeg! It adds such a nice depth of flavor to the soup. Brings the entire dish together.
- Make sure to taste for seasoning. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to taste, so season to your liking.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days.
- This broccoli cheese soup can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
One of my go to soups! Super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser, I love to pair it with Jo’s no knead bread recipe.
Thanks for your kind comment, so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this. Tweaked with a little with more broccoli, plus I used a potato masher to break the broccoli down. I only had two cups of shredded cheese so I added more Velveeta. Absolutely delicious!!!!
Looks great, so glad you enjoyed it!
Love this soup. Lost my recipe so glad you still have it on your website. Will make it again soon. Thanks
I’m so glad you love the soup and found the recipe again! Enjoy making it, and I hope it turns out delicious as always! Thanks for coming back to the recipe!
Everyone LOVED it. SO yummy and creamy.
It’s always wonderful when a recipe turns out to be creamy and delicious, especially one like this that’s a comfort food favorite for many. Thank you so much for trying it out and for your kind words!
Quick, easy and delicious!!!
Very tasty! We loved it and I’ll be making it again. I only had 2% milk so that is what I used.
What could I substitute for heavy cream? It’s too much for me. Could I use oat milk or coconut milk?
I used half and half which is lighter at 10%, never tried it with oat milk or coconut milk but I don’t see why it shouldn’t work.
I didn’t have heavy cream or half/half, used whole milk – so I added 2 more tbs of butter – and it worked out wonderfully tasty. I didn’t have velveeta and ended up using calico cheese. BUT I had some goat butter on hand – and this gave it an underlying YUM YUM to it and I would definitely recommend, if one likes goat cheese.
This is the best broccoli cheddar soup recipe HANDS DOWN. Just delicious and easy to throw together. I’ve been eating the leftovers for breakfast since I made it. So so good!
Wow, so glad you liked it!!
It’s the first time I’ve had it ever! I’ve stayed away from it, for all I’ve known are those powdered mixes that are like barfolah. This is incredibly awesome. I am wondering about bacon, Jo
I would never say no to bacon!
Quick, easy and tasty. So good we all had seconds!
Really excellent soup – I am in UK so omitted the Velveeta (as we don’t have it!) and the half/half but increased stock and was excellent – thank you
Best broccoli cheese soup ever! I added chopped leeks and fennel to the onions which resulted in another layer of flavor.
Very good! I put the whole bag of broccoli from Costco (2 Ib) and it was perfect if you like a lot of broccoli like we do.
Very good I will save this one
This is the best broccoli cheese soup I’ve ever tried! I cut the recipe in half, and used the same amount of velveeta cheese and half of the shredded, but used Colby jack and also twice the amount of black pepper… AMAZING!!! I’m so grateful for your recipes, thank you!
We’re so happy you’ve enjoyed our recipes!
Supperrrr delicious this Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe is becomes my favorite because of this only I enjoyed soo much with my family soo please JO keep sharing with us this kind of recipe thank you so much:)
https://www.gooddotspices.com/sweet-corn-soup-packet/
So glad you loved it! We’ll keep on sharing for sure 😀