Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Overhead shot of broccoli soup with a spoon in the bowl.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is simple to make on the stove top with one pot and frozen broccoli. Serve inside bread bowls or with rolls to soak up all that cheesy cheddar goodness! Shredded sharp cheddar cheese really makes this broccoli soup delicious and the heavy cream makes it perfectly thick & creamy.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword broccoli cheddar soup, broccoli cheddar soup recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 540kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 bag (12 oz) frozen broccoli florets thawed & drained
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 block (8 oz) sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

In a large saucepan or soup pot, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted add in the flour, while whisking constantly, and stir until a smooth paste forms.
* This takes about 25-30 seconds of whisking for the paste to form.
Slowly pour in the vegetable broth and heavy whipping cream (while whisking constantly) and whisk until combined and smooth.
Add in the thawed & drained broccoli, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to mix everything together.
Let simmer for 15 minutes. Do not let it boil, if it's getting too hot turn the heat down to medium low or low.
* Let it simmer until it's nicely thickened and the broccoli is to your liking. I prefer the broccoli pretty soft, so I let it cook the full 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the stove and add the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until it's mixed in smoothly and completely.
Serve with additional shredded cheddar cheese if wanted.

Notes

Thaw Frozen Broccoli : Let the frozen broccoli sit out on the counter, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes - 45 minutes before starting the recipe. You an also just leave it in the fridge all day to thaw. It's important to drain the thawed broccoli in a colander so you don't add all that extra water into the soup.

Broccoli : You can use fresh broccoli if wanted, but the cook/simmer time will need to increase in order for it to cook thoroughly.

You can also just use a bag of steamable broccoli that is microwaved to package directions and then add it into the soup when it calls for broccoli. I do it this way because my family prefers soft broccoli in soup, and using the steamable cooked broccoli provides that soft texture.

I also recommend not using completely frozen broccoli, without thawing & draining it first, because frozen broccoli releases a lot of water once it thaws, which will dilute the soup and change the taste/texture slightly.

Cheese : The recommended cheese to use is sharp cheddar cheese or medium cheddar cheese. Either one of those will provide the best cheddar flavor to this soup. Do not use the pre-shredded bags of shredded cheese. They won't melt smoothly into the soup and it leaves a gritty texture to it. Buy a small block of cheese, shred it yourself on a cheese grater, for best results.

Vegetable Broth : Chicken broth can also be substituted. If using low-sodium broth you may want to add additional salt. Taste at the end and see.

Salt : If using regular iodized table salt decrease the amount to 1/2 teaspoon and add from there if needed.

Onion : Instead of the onion powder you can use 1 small onion (finely chopped). Use a yellow or white onion. We prefer the onion powder because it makes it so there are no onion chunks in the soup.

Nutrition