Broccoli Cheese Soup
You’ll love this homemade broccoli cheese soup! Say goodbye to canned soups with Velveeta™, preservatives and high sodium content. This flavorful soup has a delicious, all-natural sharp cheddar flavor with a nice creamy, silky texture–ready in 30-minutes!
Let’s face it, some restaurant broccoli cheese soups taste like plastic–as if someone melted five pounds of Velveeta™ and then added a little broccoli. This quick soup has no plastic cheese and tastes delicious!
The success of this soup recipe starts with a basic roux: a combination of fat and flour. This is what contributes to the smooth silkiness of the cheesy broth.
Just a few simple ingredients…I like to serve it with Irish Soda bread, homemade skillet cornbread or as a side dish to pot pie with ground beef.
Ingredients
Chopped broccoli, a few carrots, all-natural cheddar cheese block (not pre-shredded), flour, butter, olive oil, onion and chicken broth.
How to make it
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt butter and oil; saute the onions and shredded carrots then, stir in the all-purpose flour and whisk; gradually add milk and broth; continue whisking until there are no lumps in the mixture
- Add in the chopped broccoli florets and bay leaves; bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium or medium-low temperature
- Stir in shredded cheese on low heat until the creamy broccoli soup is at your desired consistency
- Remove the bay leaves, season to taste with salt and ground black pepper and serve
Recipe tips
- Use block cheese that you shred yourself
- Gradually add the shredded cheese when the broccoli is tender and the temperature is on medium to medium-low heat; continue to stir until the it melts completely; do not bring to boil
- If you add the shredded cheese too soon or when the soup is really hot, the soup will get grainy. Avoid this by making sure the soup is warm when you add the cheese – not super hot nor boiling.
FAQ’s
Yes. Frozen or fresh broccoli works well in this recipe. If you use frozen, rinse it first to remove any ice crystals, then add it to the soup.
For best results, use a nice, sharp cheddar cheese that comes in a block. Pre-shredded is not recommended due to the preservatives added to maintain texture and color. You might consider using a sharp white cheddar, or a combination of Colby/Jack.
Grainy cheese soup is a result of adding the cheese too soon or when the broth is too hot. To prevent grainy soup, gradually add shredded cheese to the soup when it’s warm-not super hot or boiling.
Take the soup off the heat and use an immersion blender to break up the grains and blend the soup to a silky texture. When ready to serve, bring to medium high heat; do not bring to boil or the grainy texture will return.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate for up to 3 days in a an airtight container. This broccoli soup thickens when stored, so when you’re ready to reheat the souop, I recommend you pour it into a saucepan on low heat; you may have to add a little water or milk.
Freezing is not recommended because the texture changes texture when frozen and turns “grainy.”
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- Southwestern Navy Bean Soup
- Texas Chili
- Skillet Cornbread
- Mexican Black Bean Soup
- How to Fix Over Salted Soups and Stews
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets use organic ingredients
- 3 medium shredded carrots ,(about 1 cup shredded)
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese buy a block; shred it yourself
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup olive oil or butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- salt & pepper
Instructions
Prep
- Shred cheese from cheese block and set aside (pre-shredded cheese is not recommended)2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
- Chop onions, broccoli and shred carrots; set aside2 cups chopped broccoli florets, 1 cup chopped yellow onion, 3 medium shredded carrots
Make the Soup
- In a Dutch oven, or large pot, add oil/butter and bring to medium high heat¼ cup olive oil or butter
- Add chopped onions and shredded carrots and cook 5 minutes or until onions are translucent1 cup chopped yellow onion, 3 medium shredded carrots
- Stirring constantly, add flour to onions and combine; allow to cook for 3 minutes¼ cup flour
- Gradually add milk to onions; stirring constantly2 cups milk
- Add broth; use whisk to remove any flour lumps; once mixture is smooth add broccoli, and bay leaf2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- Bring mixture to boil; once mixture is at boiling point, reduce heat to medium or medium-low temperature (if you add the cheese to a boiling soup,it will turn grainy – See Recipe Notes below)
- Add cheese; stir and combine well2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
- Allow combination to cook on low or simmer for 15- 20 minutes, covered
- Remove bay leaf; taste for salt and peppersalt & pepper
