If ever there was a meal-worthy soup, it would be this easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup! This bowl full of colorful, chunky vegetables and a super thick cheesy “broth” is sure to leave you warm, happy, and satisfied. Unlike others I’ve tried, my broccoli cheddar soup recipe doesn’t use heavy cream and is slightly lighter on the cheese, so you still get all that creamy, cheesy goodness without feeling totally weighed down. But you can always add more cheese if you’d like. #norules. This homemade soup is so dang easy I’m sure it’s going to go into my regular rotation!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe for broccoli cheddar soup:
- Yellow Onion: Adds a little sweetness and depth of flavor to the creamy soup.
- Broccoli: Either fresh or frozen broccoli is fine to use. Yes, frozen broccoli works well in this recipe. I suggest letting them thaw completely before adding them to the soup, and you’ll probably still want to chop them into much smaller pieces (think bite-sized, fits-on-a-spoon small). I think I’ll dice my broccoli even smaller than I’ve shown in the process photos next time!
- Carrots: For a little color and sweetness. I dice my carrots fairly chunky, but you can dice them really small or slice them into matchsticks (like the Panera Bread broccoli cheddar soup) if you’d like.
- Butter & All-Purpose Flour: For making the roux, which helps thicken the soup.
- Chicken Broth: Adds flavor and is the base for our soup. Use low-sodium broth if you’re watching your salt intake. Both store-bought and homemade chicken broth will work here.
- Whole Milk: Does the job of making the soup really creamy without using heavy cream.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and cayenne pepper are all pantry staples that add a ton of flavor.
- Sharp Cheddar: Use freshly grated sharp cheddar for the best flavor and texture. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that can affect the texture of your soup.
Make it Vegetarian
I used chicken broth as the base for my soup because it tends to be a little more on the mild side, and the light color doesn’t overshadow the orange color of the cheese. However, you can use vegetable broth instead to make this a vegetarian broccoli cheddar soup. Just be aware that it tends to have a stronger flavor, and the darker color may darken your soup.
What Goes with Broccoli Cheddar Soup?
This homemade soup, with its super thick and cheesy “broth,” is just begging for some crackers or my thick, crusty no knead bread for scooping up every last drop. I love saltine crackers with mine, but ranch oyster crackers would be awesome, as would my focaccia rolls. But who says the soup has to be a solo event? A side sandwich would also be great, like these ham and cheese sliders or even a simple veggie sandwich. Even these muffaletta roll ups would be amazing with this soup.
How to Store Leftovers
Most of my soup recipes are big batch, so you can freeze the leftovers and stock your freezer with all that goodness, but this soup is the exception. Cheese sauces (and, in this case, broths) thickened with butter and flour roux don’t hold up to freezing and thawing. But don’t worry, I made this a small batch cheese soup recipe, so you don’t have to deal with too many leftovers. This recipe makes four generous servings.
That said, this creamy cheddar broccoli soup will stay good in your fridge for 4-5 days. And boy, are the leftovers DELICIOUS! They reheat beautifully in the microwave, or can be reheated on the stove top over medium-low heat, stirring often.
The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Servings 4 servings (2 cups each)Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.52)
- 1 lb. broccoli ($1.49)
- 2 carrots ($0.23)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.52)
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.04)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.24)
- 2 cups whole milk ($0.75)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 6 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded ($1.27)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and chop the broccoli into very small pieces. Peel and slice the carrots.
- Add the butter and onion to a large soup pot and sauté over medium until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the flour and sauté for 2 minutes more, or until the flour is coating the bottom of the pot and is a light golden brown color.
- Pour in chicken broth and whisk to dissolve the flour. Turn the heat up to medium-high and, while stirring often, bring the broth to a simmer. When it reaches a simmer it will thicken to a gravy consistency.
- Turn the heat down to medium and whisk in the whole milk, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Allow the broth to come back to a simmer.
- Add the chopped broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer the vegetables, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Test a piece of carrot or broccoli to make sure it's to your desired tenderness. If not, simmer a bit longer.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and stir the shredded cheese into the soup, one handful at a time, until it is fully melted.
- Taste the soup and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth—I did not add any).
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Equipment
Nutrition
Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Step by Step Photos
Dice 1 yellow onion and chop 1 lb of broccoli into very small pieces. Peel and slice 2 carrots.
Add 4 Tbsp butter and onion to a large soup pot and sauté over medium until the onions are soft and translucent. Add 4 Tbsp flour and sauté for 2 minutes more, or until the flour is coating the bottom of the pot and is a light golden brown color.
Pour in 2 cups chicken broth and whisk to dissolve the flour. Turn the heat up to medium-high and, while stirring often, bring the broth to a simmer. When it reaches a simmer it will thicken to a gravy consistency.
Turn the heat down to medium and whisk in 2 cups whole milk, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper. Allow the broth to come back to a simmer.
Add the chopped broccoli and carrots and continue to simmer the vegetables, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Test a piece of carrot or broccoli to make sure it’s to your desired tenderness. If not, simmer a bit longer.
Turn the heat to medium-low and stir 6 oz shredded cheese into the soup, one handful at a time, until it is fully melted.
Taste the soup and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth—I did not add any).
Soooo thick and cheesy!! 😍
This recipe is well-balanced and delicious. My chicken broth was salty enough that no extra salt was necessary.
Many thanks!
This is my absolute favorite broccoli cheddar soup. I have made other “fancier” version with white wine or expensive cheeses added. This simple one is the best. I bring it to parties and people love it. I make it exactly to recipe except I use half and half instead of milk. At the end I also take an immersion blender and blend a little bit to make it extra creamy and thick.
I made a double batch so I had enough leftovers for work all week, I find that it curdles/separates a little when reheating in the microwave even when I do it in short bursts and stir in between, but it still tastes good.
I shredded the carrots instead of chopped.
This soup is SO GOOD! I used frozen broccoli and cooked it ahead of time. Then it was a cinch to chop up fine. I used unsalted butter and it came out just right. Also added a little Tabasco for a touch more spice. Happy lunches this week!
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the cayenne and garlic powder, but other than that made as written. Definitely recommend.
Excellent soup! Perfect for a cold, dreary day.
I used 2 cups half-and-half since that’s what I had and had to use up (I added a little water when the soup was simmering to thin it out a bit). I’m not a big fan of paprika, so I used–now, hear me out–nutmeg instead. It works well in bechamel sauces, so I thought, “Why not?” The 1/2 tsp I used didn’t overpower the soup and added a nice flavor.
Could I use goat milk cheddar cheese in this recipe?
I’ve never tried to use goat milk cheddar in a recipe like this, so I’m not sure if it performs any differently than cow’s milk cheddar.
Love this. I usually run my stick blender through before adding cheese to make it smooth and it’s our fav.
Good recipe, but the smoky taste of the smoked paprika really took over in a way I didn’t like. Next time I would use regular paprika.
This has become my go-to for broccoli cheddar soup! I made a batch before leaving town recently and didn’t want to throw away the leftovers. I put it in the freezer and surprisingly it froze just fine! Sometimes cream-based soups don’t freeze well, but this one turned out fine when I thawed and reheated the leftovers. Good to know for future because this makes a pretty big pot of soup!
I only had a steamable frozen broccoli bag, and it worked out. I really appreciate the pictures with the steps and measurements, because although I could have done the recipe without it, it made me feel more confident as I went and I didn’t have to do alot of scrolling back and forth. This is my first intro to this site, and I’ve now bookmarked and actually excited to see what other recipes are around and the prices.
Did you steam the broccoli first in the microwave before adding it to the soup? Thanks!
Just a note here – you can make this with oat milk, it just won’t be as creamy.
I also added an additional cup of water to the broth for personal preference, but even so I suspect that because oat milk is more watery that this soup will be more watery than the original recipe. The oat milk also might’ve made the flavor a pinch sweeter (because oat milk is a pinch sweeter than regular milk) but it’s hard to tell without being able to directly compare them.
One of my top favorites from your site, hands down! I like to add some celery for extra veg, but otherwise I make as written!
Made as written and this was really good. Easy to cook! I think I’ll be heavy handed with the spices next time but as is it is still very delicious.
Love fast recipes