Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup is ready in less than 30 minutes! Creamy comfort in a bowl with tender broccoli, Cheddar cheese, and SO MUCH FLAVOUR!
Our Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe has taken quite a few years to get right: taste, flavour and consistency. This might not be an exact replica of Panera’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup… BUT it’s so good you’ll be eating it right out of the pot before your friends and family have a chance to pour themselves a bowl!
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
When I visited my hometown New York a few years ago, I was taken to Panera’s and was immediately given a steaming hot bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Dipping into it, I could not believe how beautifully thick and creamy it was… and since then I’ve been making it at home for us!
Thick and creamy with an ABUNDANCE of broccoli and American cheddar cheese!
HOW TO MAKE BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP
A few Broccoli Cheese Soup recipes have so little broccoli you need some sort of magnifying equipment to find it. NOT THIS ONE!
- Start by frying onions and garlic in melted butter…this is where the flavour starts.
- Whisk in flour…this is where the consistency comes in.
- Add in your seasonings…this is where FLAVOUR PART TWO continues.
- Follow with an abundance of broccoli and carrots, then cheese… THIS IS WHERE THIS BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP IS ONE OF THE BEST YOU’LL TRY!
- Get your bread rolls ready and DIP!
HOW LONG CAN HOMEMADE BROCCOLI SOUP LAST IN FRIDGE:
Once broccoli soup is cooked, let cool and cover in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If required, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
HOW DO YOU REHEAT SOUP?
To Reheat In Your Microwave: Cover loosely with a microwave safe lid and microwave on high heat setting for 2-3 minutes, or until hot. Stir halfway through heating time. (Please note: Microwave times may vary.)
For Stove Top: Pour soup into a pot or sauce pan. Heat, while stirring occasionally being careful not to bring to a rapid oil, until hot.
MORE SOUP RECIPES
Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
Thick & Creamy Pumpkin Soup
BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP ON VIDEO
Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (or plain flour)
- 2 cups good-quality low sodium chicken stock
- 3 cups half-and-half, (or evaporated milk or regular milk)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or more to your taste
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (or chicken bouillon powder)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound (500 grams) broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
- 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
- 2 cups low fat sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the onion until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook for a further minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes or until golden brown.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the chicken stock and half-and-half, stirring well to combine and dissolve the flour into the liquid. Season with salt and pepper, stock powder, mustard powder and garlic powder. Give it a good mix and allow to cook and thicken for about 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the broccoli and carrots and gently simmer for another 20 minutes, until broccoli is completely tender. Mix in cheese and stir until just combined. Taste test and add in extra salt and/or pepper, if desired.
- Serve with bread rolls!
Sophia says
I’ve made this soup tons of times, always perfect!
BUT…. last night the cheese didn’t melt at all, it just turned into tiny cheese curds essentially. Still “edible” for me because I don’t waste food, but I’d never serve it to anyone else! What happened?! 😭 I’m super bummed!
Suzanne Norris says
Made this today. No cheddar cheese in house so I used 4 cheese Mexican blend. No vegetable stock.powder either so added some thyme and celery seed. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make this again.
Nash says
Fantastic Soup!! Lots of compliments of how rich and creamy it was. Then I realized I was so busy trying to coordinate the meal that I forgot the cheese!!!! BEST CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP EVER!!! After breaking the news a day later, everyone still raved about it.
Add the cheese and it will be even better.
Sally Lilly says
This was super easy and very tasty. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, because I already had it in the fridge. I used a combination of mild cheddar and Colby jack. This recipe will definitely be in my rotation of dinners.
Caroline says
New favorite! I used onion powder, Dijon mustard, and full fat cheddar along with two packs birdseye steamfresh broccoli florets already cooked to save time. I also added 1.5 cups cooked wild rice. Great way to use up half and half!
Randy says
Omitted stock powder and used leftover whey from making cream cheese to replace 1 cup of chicken stock. Also used full fat extra sharp cheddar cheese. Fantastic recipe. Absolutely the best broccoli cheddar soup I’ve ever tried. Next time I will triple the recipe. Bookmarked this recipe.
Jessica Lynn says
The most delicious recipe for broccoli soup I have ever EVER tasted. It will now me on my meal rotation.
Jodi says
This was the most perfect broccoli cheese soup! The flavor was awesome! I threw in frozen broccoli and just had to cook it an extra five minutes, and then put in the crock pot until we were ready to eat!
Lisa says
Prepared this tone got because I had some 2% milk about to expire. Delicious – glad I was in the waste not want not stage. I did add 1 TBSP cornstarch mixed with water because mine was not thickening at 5 minutes – that solved the issue. Only thing that would have made it better would have been if I had the bread bowls fixed to serve it in. Definitely a keeper.
Heather Watkins says
Really enjoyed this soup. Made it for young, picky eaters who like a smoother soup, so I blended it. Since I knew I was going to blend it, I chopped broccoli and carrots in the food processor, then grated the cheese. Saved me lots of time! Will definitely do again.
Shweta says
Looks great!
Just made with few different ingredients, great success! Thanks
Dori says
Just made this for lunch and wow the flavor was on point. I used skim because that’s all I had ,unfortunately mine boiled instead of simmered so my soup curdled slight but it tasted delicious . This is definitely a keeper!
Lil says
great broccoli cheddar soup! I followed same ingredients but not the amount as I’m too lazy to actually measure so I just eyeballed everything. I didn’t have any stock on me and used spike’s vegesal seasoning instead. Despite all that, the soup turned out full of flavor, impressed! Thank you.
Kristina Krygier says
Could anyone tell me how many quarts this makes? I need to make 35 quarts of this for a fundraiser so I’m trying to figure out how much I need for it! Thank you!!
Jim More says
Fills 8″ diameter by 3.5″ high pot equals 3 quarts. Multiply recipe by 12 to get 35 quarts.
Angelique says
Made this for lunch today exactly as written, except I let it simmer almost an hour and used a potato masher to smash the cooked veggies up fairly small. Served with garlic bread, absolutely perfect! I’ll use the little bit leftover to pour over a baked potato for lunch tomorrow, yummy!
Virginia Ware says
How many Servings does the recipe serve?
Tammi says
I had never had broccoli and cheddar soup before. I loved it. The difference is instead of the garlic and mustard powder, I used paprika, oregano, parsley and some chilli flakes. Was superb. One disappointment was I expected 8 servings but really only got 5 as it is quite thick. Should I add water to this to make more servings? Or is this the way it should be? In that case are your servings super small? My servings are about 3 cups each.
M S says
This sounds delicious, and I can’t wait to try it, thank you! We have quite a few packages of broccoli in our freezer. Will the frozen broccoli work just as well?
Cook smarter.. not harder says
Yes I just made mines late last night.. after I sauté. the onions and all the seasoning. And liquids .. I was so sleepy. I poured everything in my crock pot, on Low.. omggggggg ..IS SO GOOD AND CREAMY .. and the broccoli was frozen in the beginning..YUM YUMMY!!
Cook smarter.. not harder says
Yes I just made mines late last night.. after I sauté. the onions and all the seasoning. And liquids .. I was so sleepy. I poured everything in my crock pot, on Low.. omggggggg ..IS SO GOOD AND CREAMY .. and the broccoli was frozen in the beginning..YUM YUMMY!! IT had so much flavor..
Leah says
I just made this and it tastes like love!!! I didn’t have any bouillon but I did have vegetable”Better Than Bouillon,” which I highly recommend just to have in the fridge. My family loves it! Thanks.
Linda Burhans says
Really good flavor. Made exactly as recipe states but cut in half. Not a fan of leftover creamy soup. Made two very generous servings with just a bit left over. My own personal preference – next timeI I will use only half of the carrots.
Jnet says
Made this tonight, added a couple chicken breasts. And added the last cup of half and half in the container because it was so packed full of deliciousness! So good. I added a bit more seasonings than suggested. Will make again!! Thanks!
Jessika says
Just made this recipe tonight! Super creamy and delicious. Great soup to kick off this season. Thanks for sharing!
Cathy says
Can I use heavy cream instead of half ad half?
Katy says
I did! It was delicious!
Jens Lorenz says
Delicious soup and easy to make. I added also some nutmeg for the flavour.
M.Row says
Great recipe! I added pan seared tilapia fillets chopped to bite size pieces. It came out delicious. Our family really enjoyed it.
Tori T says
Amazing recipe! Made as written without adjustments, and it came out so delicious and rich. My husband snuck a second helping later in the evening from the leftovers – will (hopefully) last us two nights!
SO GOOD!
Chanel Green says
I made this tonight and it’s the best broccoli cheddar soup I have ever had! So delicious!!! It’s thick and rich but not heavy. I’m so impressed. I’ll be making this for years to come.
Sarah says
Absolutely delicious! Best I’ve ever made
Kathi says
Excellent broccoli soup!! I used the listed ingredients but changed the cooking method. Sauteed and simmered the vegetables for about an hour in the liquid. Then used an immersion blender to make it creamy. Added the cheese at the end to melt into the soup. Dee lish!!
Venelda says
This is great recipe! The first time I made it I was amazed what great flavor it had. I’m thinking about taking it to my staff potluck. Will it reheat well to serve the next day?
Krista says
Yum! Used vegetable broth instead of chicken as were vegetarian. Super delicious recipe!
Anne Marie Leach says
Delicious! Exactly what I was looking for on a gloomy, cool day…I used crinkle cut carrots and added mushrooms to it as well. This is a new staple in our house!
Joan says
Made this yesterday evening. It’s first class and I’m so pleased to have found it. Easy too although I’m slower (and probably older) than many of your friends so it took me a bit longer. Enjoyable experience though and the eating was the best part. Thank you, from rural Spain.
Nancy says
Made this last night and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Thank you!
Dawn says
This was absolutely amazing!! So easy and very comforting!!
Mrs Amber McEntire says
Ditto to what everyone else says! This truly was easy! We tweaked it a bit using 2% milk, cut the carrots like matchsticks & added a bit more water and served or for Sunday lunch after church with BLT sandwiches. It was so good thank you!
-Amber
Malissia says
My husband woke up and said “I don’t want meat for dinner.” I stumbled upon this recipe, made it before work and almost didn’t clock in! I wanted to stay home just to embark on this hearty soup journey! Lol! It was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait for my husband to come and try it! Thank you for sharing!
Karen Pointer says
Great recipe! I made it the fatty cakes way using heavy whipping cream, chicken stock, hearty cheddar , cut corners by using canned cut up carrots, already leftover steamed broccoli, carmelized onions, garlic. We love pepper in our creamy soups so I went bold on it, and salted to taste. Thank you for the recipe!
Immari says
This soup is not only a gorgeous fall dish, but has the most delicate, lovely taste. Thank you so much for this recipe, my very first try, thanks to you, was a success
Wende' says
This is the best Cheddar Broccoli Soup that I have ever had!!!! Thank you soooo much for this awesome recipe!!!??
Joan Dow says
Probably the best soup I have ever made!!!! I did substitute a whole shallot instead of the garlic, used a rounded tsp of Better than Boullion and used full fat cheese, one cup of white cheddar and one cup of Gouda, and I grated in a bit of nutmeg. 10/10
Lydia says
Hello, thank you for this recipe, I’m actually making it right now. It just doesn’t seem like there will be 8 servings.. I am hoping it is an actual soup and not just liquidy broccoli and cheese.. I followed directions exactly. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Cindy says
Do you think I could use mild cheddar or Colby Jack cheese in the soup? Or does it need the sharp cheese to make sure the flavor comes through? I can’t find organic sharp cheese and I prefer to use organic as much as I can. This looks so good, I can’t wait to make it! Thank you!
Karina says
Yes, of course! The flavor will be a little altered but it will still be great to eat! Enjoy! XO
Barbara Gregorius says
I made this soup yesterday and it was heaven in a bowl!!!!!! Instead of chicken stock I used veg stock (we don’t eat meat or poultry) and I added an extra carrot (they were dying in the fridge…) but I don’t think this did any harm to the taste. Next time I’ll try it with olive oil instead of butter (will make it less ‘heavy’ I think) but I’ll definitely make this soup again!!!! And my husband will only be grateful because he also luuuuuuuuurved it :-). Thank you for the recipe!!!
Christine seckler says
I made this soup last week, Love,Love Love it! I used minced roasted Garlic,carrot matchsticks and a dash of Cayenne pepper too! Fantastic! A real winner! I shared this with an elderly couple that I take care , they Loved it too! Thank you Karina!
Karina says
Thank you! I am so glad everyone loved it! Thanks so much for sharing with me! XO
Jodie says
Can’t wait to try this, many of your recipes are in my regular rotation. Everyone of them delicious!
Cheryl F says
I was wondering if I could use “Better than Bouillon” chicken base instead of the powder. Also, if I could, would I need to use less? I am trying to get ready for soup season! Thanks
Karina says
Yes, that works great! I would recommend using the same amount to continue to keep the flavor. Enjoy! XO
Maria says
I just made this soup. It really is delicious. thank-you so much for sharing your recipes, they’ve brought a lot of food joy to this small family!
Kelly says
Your recipe has disappeared. All I can see is comments. Saw the recipe this morning and by the time I got ingredients and came to make it it had disappeared!!!!!
Karina says
Hi! I’m so sorry about this. It seems to be a technical issue and we are working on it right now. Hopefully we will have all recipes up again soon! Thank you for your patience! Karina X
Sandra Peters says
How about a “low-carb” broccoli and cheese soup?
Jennifer says
Love the cheddar broccoli soup. It was easy to make and was delicious!,, will definitely make it again
Love all your recipes
Laurie says
O M G – the broccoli cheese soup is truly amazing! I have tried various recipes and this is the best by far. This one is going in my cookbook. I made it exactly as directed.
Keep the great recipes coming! I love trying your recipes.
Kristen says
Made this yesterday for my sister in law that has her wisdom teeth pulled. I ended up keeping half for myself because it was too good not to! This soup was so easy and quick to make and the flavor is fantastic!!
Karina says
I’m so happy to hear that Kristen!
Rebecca says
So funny someone made it for wisdom teeth extraction, as I used it for my husband who had six extractions! So easy to put together I was able to make two meals at once for the whole family. I did use microwave broccoli and cooked it ahead so it was super soft but it wasn’t necessary. I didn’t have bouillon powder, so I used Greek seasoning and cut the amount in half. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Diego Lopes says
I should not have come here while I was hungry haha thanks for the delicious recipe, saved it here to try later!
Bonnie says
I didn’t have any cheddar so I had to use mozzarella but thanks to the grated carrot it look just like grated cheddar. The whole family loved this soup.
James | Thyme to Mango says
I love the sound of this soup: I can get my cheese fix but it has broccoli in it so it’s healthy! It’s a win-win situation ?
Karina says
YES! Love a good win-win 🙂
Rachel says
Hi! I love your recipes. They have been a huge hit with my family.
Question. I have a little one that gets migraines so we need to avoid foods like vegetable stock powder (or chicken bouillon powder). How do I substitute? Should I use more chicken stock and how much? I’m able to find chicken stock without msg but I have yet to find veggies or chicken bouillon powder without it. Thanks. : )
Karina says
Hi Rachel! I have found one in Australia that is MSG free, but I’m not sure where you are in the world! Have you googled any brands you have access to in your area? If not, just replace with a pinch of salt in the recipe, sometimes celery salt is yummy (pretty sure the one I have doesn’t contain MSG), and a little extra chicken broth 🙂