Creamy and delicious broccoli cheddar soup made in ONE POT on the stovetop. This soup is easy to make and full of flavor (the “secret” to this soup is in the spices!).
Serve this broccoli cheddar soup recipe with this Italian Salad, Roasted Vegetables, and/or a crusty loaf of bread!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Soup is a popular meal choice in our home especially when it’s cold outside. Grey could eat this tomato basil soup every meal of the day if I let him and Bentley inhales this creamy vegetable soup. One of my all-time favorite soups? Cheddar Broccoli! When we lived in Cleveland, we were right next to a Panera Bread, and I always ordered their broccoli cheddar soup.
Since there isn’t a Panera near me anymore, I’ve had to create my own broccoli cheddar soup and I’m thrilled with this recipe. I’d say it’s even better PLUS you’ll know exactly what the ingredients are in your soup (which you can’t say the same for Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup).
How do you make cheddar broccoli soup?
What spices should you add to broccoli soup?
Quick FAQS
- Can you use frozen broccoli? Unfortunately no. Frozen broccoli really doesn’t hold up well in flavor or texture for this soup. I highly recommend fresh broccoli
- Can you freeze this broccoli cheddar soup? This soup actually doesn’t freeze very well because of the dairy in it. If you’re worried about having too much, I’d recommend halving the recipe!
- How do I reheat this soup? I recommend reheating this soup on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently. (Boiling may cause ingredients to separate.) Soup is best within 1-3 days. More info here.
- Can you make this soup vegetarian? Yes! Very easily 🙂 Swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock (or broth) and you’ll have a vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup!
- How can I make a healthy broccoli cheddar soup? You can use whole milk instead of the fat free half and half, but it will be a lot less thick and creamy. While this soup does have half & half cheese, it is healthier because we’re using REAL ingredients (no velveeta here!)
More INCREDIBLE Soup Recipes:
- Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Tortilla Soup (Reader Favorite!)
- Minestrone Soup
- Crockpot Chili (Winner of DOZENS of Chili Cook-offs!)
Creamy and delicious broccoli cheddar soup made in ONE POT on the stovetop
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Fine sea salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons white flour
- 1 container (32 ounces (about 4 cups)) low-sodium chicken stock (or broth) (use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)
- 3 cups fat free half and half
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups chopped broccoli crowns (~4 large crowns)
- 2 cups matchstick/shredded carrots
- 12 ounces high quality extra sharp cheddar cheese (don't use pre-shredded -- it doesn't melt well in this soup)
- Optional: crusty bread OR bread bowls (we love serving this soup in sourdough bread bowls!)
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Add 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil to a large heavy bottomed stock pot/dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, paprika, mustard, cayenne pepper, and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon, but add to preference) to the pot. (I like to add the salt AFTER the stock to gauge how much more it needs.) Cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute stirring constantly until fragrant.
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Add in remaining 6 tablespoons butter and melt. Once melted, add in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour is thickened (don't rush or your soup won't properly thicken/taste right).
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Gradually add in the chicken stock, whisking constantly. Once all the stock has been added, gradually add in the half and half, again whisking constantly as you add. Reduce heat to medium low, add in the bay leaf, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened a bit. (Whisk every few minutes as you chop the broccoli!)
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Meanwhile, chop the broccoli and shred the cheese. Add the chopped broccoli florets and matchstick/shredded carrots (give carrots a quick chop in half if they are super long) to the soup.
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Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp tender (or tender to your preference!) Stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt (I add about a teaspoon here). (You can blend some of the soup or use an immersion blender here if desired. We like it chunky, but blend to preference if desired)
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Add in the cheese and stir until melted. Again taste for seasoning. Serve immediately in bread bowls or regular bowls with a side of bread for dipping!
Recipe Video
Eva says
December 6, 2018 at 5:54 pmMade this soup tonight and it was delicious. Very tasty! I had a question and another was my mishap. I wanted to ask you how much flour you add as it was not in the recipe, or I missed it? The other issue I had is there was some curdling in the soup along the way. The taste was still very good but I was not sure if it was shocking the soup with the cold half and half might have caused it or I did, unfortunately, let it get to a boil. What might you think caused it to happen as I do want to make it again, without the curdles ;-). Thanks for a delicious soup.
James says
October 18, 2019 at 10:24 pmI know it’s a year later, but I wanted to share a little. Something I learned years ago from another recipe, aside from making sure the milk products are mixed well, is that adding cheese should always happen off of heat. Get things well ready, then start slowly sprinkling in the cheese after taking it off the burner. If you use gas, this isn’t a problem, but with element burners, mostly electric, you get residual heat that adds to curdling.
Crystal says
December 18, 2018 at 5:17 pmThis is delicious! I need to double the recipe sometime! I used heavy whipping cream, left out the carrots, and roasted the frozen broccoli with olive oil sprayed on top for 25 min. on 400 degrees before adding it to the soup (because I didn’t have fresh broccoli). I paired it with toasted sourdough bread with Kerrygold butter on top…ahhhmazing…thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone!
chelseamessyapron says
December 21, 2018 at 9:24 amOoh my gosh that sounds amazing!!! Thanks Crystal! 🙂
Crystal says
December 18, 2018 at 5:18 pmOh, and I added bits of chicken!
Linda says
January 11, 2019 at 2:45 amI live in the mountains in Japan so this soup is not available anywhere. This soup was so delicious and just what I was looking for. My family came in from work/school and the cheese had barely melted before they started eating and they loved it. Thank you for this recipe. Will definitely be making it again and again.
chelseamessyapron says
January 18, 2019 at 9:34 amAh I’m so glad you were able to make this! Thanks!:)
Rebecca says
April 27, 2019 at 4:31 pmDelicious soup! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Heather Janssens says
August 7, 2019 at 8:21 pmI made this for supper tonight as I continue to experiment with different meals for supper, and myself, my husband and 3 of my kids (even my pickiest!) LOVED this soup and devoured it right up! I’ll be making this again for sure – thanks so much for this delicious recipe!! Note: I did the recipe exactly like you have it and didn’t blend it and it tasted perfect!
Chelsea Lords says
August 8, 2019 at 4:34 pmAhh I’m soo happy to hear this!! Thank soo much for your comment! So glad you guys enjoyed! 🙂
Kristina says
August 9, 2019 at 1:26 pmIf you don’t have ground mustard can you use Regular mustard???
Chelsea Lords says
August 13, 2019 at 10:00 amI wouldn’t recommend regular mustard for this soup!
Kate says
August 21, 2019 at 8:06 pmCould I use Milk instead of half and half?
Chelsea Lords says
August 30, 2019 at 3:27 pmIf you do, I’d use whole milk. It will be a lot thinner and less creamy
Whitney Ellsworth says
October 10, 2019 at 6:15 pmDidn’t turn out well. Directions aren’t very clear.
Chelsea Lords says
October 14, 2019 at 11:08 amSo sorry to hear that. How could I make the directions more clear? I’d love to fix any issues I can with the recipe!