This 30-minute broccoli cheddar soup recipe is the ULTIMATE comfort food! It's rich, creamy, super cheesy, and loaded with tender veggies.
Broccoli cheddar soup is one of Jack’s favorite foods. Ask him about the version at Panera Bread, and he’ll go on and on about its creamy texture and rich, tangy, cheesy flavor. He never expected me to develop a broccoli cheddar soup recipe at home (unless you count this vegan twist), but with the holidays right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to surprise him with one.
So, on a gray, chilly day last weekend, when we were both craving comfort food, I finally made him this broccoli cheddar soup recipe. As we sat down with our steaming bowls, I waited anxiously to see what he’d think. I shouldn’t have worried. He took one taste and declared, “This recipe is even better than Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup!” A few minutes later, he was already heading back for seconds. I hope you love this recipe too!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this broccoli cheddar soup recipe:
- Broccoli, of course! Cut it into small, bite-sized pieces so that you get some in every spoonful of soup.
- Onion and garlic – They add savory depth of flavor.
- Butter and flour – They create a roux that thickens the soup.
- Milk – It perfects the soup’s creamy texture. Whole milk is traditional in broccoli cheese soup, and it works great here, but I often use unsweetened almond milk instead, and it works nicely too. The soup is a tad less thick, but it’s still delicious!
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- Carrot – You can finely chop it or julienne it. I personally like to julienne it because the shredded carrots remind me of grated cheese, and I think they give the soup a fun, extra-cheesy look.
- Dijon mustard – It adds tangy, peppery depth of flavor.
- Cheddar cheese – It wouldn’t be broccoli cheddar soup without it! Sharp cheddar cheese is my fave, but feel free to opt for a mild cheddar if your prefer.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
So creamy! So cheesy! Who wants a bowl?
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Tips
- Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.
- Whisk continuously when you add the flour and milk. At first, whisking prevents the flour from burning on the bottom of the pot with the butter. Once you add the milk, it evenly disperses the flour and butter in the liquid, thickening the soup and preventing lumps from forming.
- Go low and slow. When you add the cheese to the soup, make sure that the pot is over very low heat. If the heat is too high, the cheese won’t incorporate into the soup, giving it a thin, gloopy texture. I also recommend adding a little at a time and stirring well between additions.
- Reheat it on the stove. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat them, you’ll once again need to go low and slow. Skip the microwave, and warm the soup on the stovetop instead. Place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir occasionally until heated through. Reheated this way, the soup should stay thick and creamy. If you try to rush the process and crank up the heat, the soup will separate. Trust me, I learned the hard way!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Serving Suggestions
Make this broccoli cheese soup a meal by serving it with good crusty bread or a heap of homemade croutons. If you’re looking for something more to serve with it, I recommend a simple veggie side dish like one of these:
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Green Bean Salad
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Simple Green Salad
- Sautéed Kale
Enjoy!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this broccoli cheddar soup, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:
- Vegan Broccoli Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Creamy Potato Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 large carrot, julienned or finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 heaping cups
- Homemade croutons, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously.
- Add the broth, broccoli, carrot, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Gradually add the cheese, stirring after each addition, until all the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season to taste and serve with croutons, if desired.
Made this to the T (except for the salt) and it was perfect! These days I use Better than Bullion for most soups, this time going with the vegetarian chicken flavor. Given how salty it can be, and that cheddar is quite salty, I omitted the salt entirely, and the soup was perfectly salted as is. Will definitely use this recipe again, no doubt.
Hi Brent, I’m so glad you loved it!
Wowwww unbelievable. Better than Panera. Doubling it next time!!!
So glad you loved it, Lauren!
You had the heat too high when you added the cheese. It’s stated in the tips, but not in the recipe itself, I made the same mistake, tough lesson to learn.
Then you obviously made it wrong lol cause your the only one complaining
Simply perfect! The directions are clear and easy to follow. And the finished product is nothing short of amazing. I did use white pepper in place of black, and I used 1/2 c half and half and the remaining 1.5 c of 2% milk (it’s what I had). But, otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you so much!!
Hi Arthur, I’m so glad you loved the soup. I love the idea of using white pepper here, yum!
Made this tonight! Delicious and husband approved!
I’m so happy to hear!
Left out the carrot but otherwise followed and it was delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
My son and husband enjoyed! Easy recipe using regular milk, which I greatly appreciate. No rushing to the store to buy heavy cream. I used frozen broccoli and they could not tell. I doubled the recipe so I can freeze the leftovers for another meal.
I enjoy making your recipes. Thank you for creating reliable delicious recipes!
I’m so glad you both loved the soup!
Perfect fall evening soup. I loved the addition of the upstairs. Served with cheddar bay biscuits, a shaving of sharp cheddar and bacon bits on top. Delicious!
P.s. replaced flour with cornstarch.
Awesome!! I used beef stock rather than bouillon and pepper melange because I don’t like black pepper alone. Best broccoli cheese soup ever! So creamy.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Sounds delish!
Do you think it would be ok to use heavy cream? I generally use heavy cream in my other soups, like clam chowder.
For me, the less carbs the better!
Thank you so much 😊
Hi Ronn, we haven’t tested this with heavy cream – it’s quite thick just with the milk.
I used heavy cream… it is perfect.
Type one diabetic here! So definitely understand less carbs the better! Based on using heavy cream for other soups in the past I’d bet you’d be safe to do half heavy cream and half water in replacement of the milk.
I used 1/4 heavy cream and 3/4 2% …I doubled the recipe, so that’s not cups, but proportions of what was called for in the recipe…was great!
I love this recipe!!! I have made it 3 times and enjoyed it so much!!
I’m so glad it’s been a favorite!
This recipe was so good! I loved the carrot bits that made the end result look like classic super cheesy broccoli cheddar soup. For our dairy sensitive house, I used cashew milk, half the cheese, and added in a can of blended up white beans for protein. Altogether, this soup tasted like a nostalgic craving but with less fat and more fibre. What a win 🙂 Thanks!
My daughter has made this a few times now, and our whole family loves this! This last time she made it, she added the leftover roasted chicken into it (2-3 cups). I prefer it with the chicken, as it is very hearty, and I really like protein…but it is delicious regardless. This is now our family’s favorite soup! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Just made the soup. It is absolutely delicious. Thanks so much.
Made this and swapped the flour for gluten free flour. Gorgeous soup! Couldn’t stop going back for more. Even my mum loved it and she hates garlic.
Hi Joyce, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Just finished cooking and eating this. WOW. I think this is the best broccoli soup I’ve ever had. Great recipe! Thank you so much. Probably going to double it next time though
This was soooo delicious. The only thing I would do different is put the ingredient multiplier on the recipe because we definitely needed more. Thank you so much for this.
This recipe is a house favorite. It’s simple, quick, and always hits the spot. Thanks for sharing it!
Can this be frozen?
Yum! My hubby said, “Make a double batch next time!!” It was tasty and creamy.
Ha, I’m happy to hear that!