- Share + savor
I have a cookbook! - Buy Now
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
jump toRECIPE
This easy broccoli cheddar soup is cozy, comforting, and made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. It comes together in just 30 minutes thanks to a quick veggie sauté, a simple roux, and plenty of sharp cheddar for richness. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner served with warm sourdough. If you love creamy, veggie-forward soups, be sure to try my creamy tomato cheddar soup and baked potato soup next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and weeknight-friendly — This soup comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights.
- Rich and comforting — The sharp cheddar, cream, and blended broccoli give it that classic velvety texture without being overly heavy.
- Packed with veggies— With extra broccoli and carrots blended in, it’s a cozy soup that still leans nourishing.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Onion – I use yellow onion for its mellow flavor when cooked. These onions, with a brownish yellow papery skin, are a great all-purpose cooking onion. Shallots can be used in place of the onion in this recipe.
- Garlic – Sautéed chopped garlic adds an additional depth of flavor.
- Broccoli – When buying broccoli look for firm stalks and tight florets vibrant green in color. Because the soup will be blended, the lower stalks can be used as well or saved to use in broccoli slaw. I roughly chop the broccoli into smaller pieces, as this lowers the time needed to simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender.
- Roux – Flour is cooked in fat (in this case oil and butter) to create a thickening agent for the soup. When the flour is cooked it removes the raw flour flavor.
- Vegetable broth – To keep this soup vegetarian I use vegetable broth though chicken broth also works great.
- Heavy cream – The cream is used to create a rich, velvety soup. Rather than create a milk base I use a stock and roux base finished with heavy cream.
- Cheddar cheese – I use sharp Cheddar when cooking, especially when I want the flavor to shine in the broccoli cheese soup. If you use mild or medium Cheddar the flavor will cook out and the recipe will be lacking in that signature cheesy flavor.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
For the smoothest texture, blend the soup while it’s still hot but not boiling. If using a blender instead of an immersion blender, blend in batches and vent the lid slightly to release steam.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Vegetable broth: You can use chicken broth instead if you don’t need the soup to be vegetarian.
- Onion: You can swap the yellow onion for shallots for a slightly sweeter, more delicate flavor.
- Flour (for the roux): You can omit the flour to make the soup gluten-free, though it will be thinner—blending extra veggies or adding a bit of cooked rice or cauliflower will help thicken it.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: You can use mild or medium cheddar, but the flavor will be less pronounced. For best meltability, use freshly shredded cheese rather than pre-shredded.
- Heavy cream: You can swap in half-and-half for a lighter version, though the soup will be slightly less rich.
Special Equipment
I prefer to use an immersion blender when possible because it cuts down on clean-up but a traditional blender ensures it is evenly and thoroughly blended.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Step-by-Step)
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat through, then add the butter and allow to melt. Next, add the onion and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until just fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook until it turns a pale golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the broccoli and carrots and simmer the soup until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the cayenne. Use an immersion blender or add to a blender. Blend the soup until it’s mostly smooth but some pieces of broccoli remain.
Stir in the cream then slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly until completely combined into the soup.
Serve in warmed soup bowls and garnish with chives and additional Cheddar cheese.
How to Serve Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Serve in warmed bowls to keep the soup hot longer.
- Garnish with extra shredded cheddar and chives for added flavor and color.
- Pair with crusty sourdough, garlic bread, or simple green salad for a full meal.
- For extra protein, add shredded rotisserie chicken to individual bowls.
How to Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop: Warm over medium-low heat, stirring often so the cheese doesn’t separate. Add a splash of broth if it gets too thick.
- Reheat in the microwave: Heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each.
- Freezing is not recommended — the dairy can cause the texture to turn grainy.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! For best results, make the soup up to the blending step, then add the cream and cheese when reheating to prevent separation.
Let it simmer a bit longer to reduce, blend more of the broccoli, or stir in a small amount of cooked rice or cauliflower and blend again.
Cheese can separate if added when the soup is too hot. Lower the heat and add the cheese slowly, stirring constantly.
Absolutely. Frozen broccoli works great and will cook at the same rate.
Sharp cheddar melts smoothly and has the strongest flavor. Avoid pre-shredded cheese if possible, since it contains anti-caking agents that affect texture.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this broccoli cheddar soup recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram for more updates:
Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 5 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, plus additional for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions:
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat through, then add the butter and allow to melt. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until just fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook until it turns a pale golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the broccoli and carrots and simmer the soup until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the cayenne. Use an immersion blender or add to a blender. Blend the soup until it’s mostly smooth but some pieces of broccoli remain.
- Stir in the cream then slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly until completely combined into the soup.
- Serve in warmed soup bowls and garnish with chives and additional Cheddar cheese.
Notes:
Nutrition:
TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings
)
)
)
Broccoli cheddar soup was amazing! And easy ! But then again all her recipes are fabulous! Blackberry short ribs! Crab guacamole Yukon! Spicy ceasar salad ! I’ve made both ! Next is the clam chowder .
Thank you so much for sharing Donna!! So happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes!
So easy to follow and tastes wonderful. I don’t love using a lot of heavy cream but I love creamy soups so I chose this one because it had a vegetable broth base. Seriously would never know, it’s that good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed!! I love how veggie heavy it is too!! Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delish!! Do you happen to have nutrition facts for this recipe? Thanks!
So happy to hear that! Yes, if you hit the print button on the recipe card and scroll down it will show you the nutrition facts.
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I didn’t use an immersion blender and it still turned out great. Love this one-pot soup for a chilly weekday night and it definitely makes enough for leftovers!
This soup was really flavourful and easy to make. I will be making this again! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing!