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.
This was delicious! I used fresh broccoli that had some big stems. I chopped the florets off first, and diced all the stems into small pieces and cooked them down with all the other veg first, then put it in blender. I added the florets after adding the blended soup back into pot until cooked, then added cheese at end. It made it thick and creamy, and broccoli tops stayed nice and green .
Hi Sue, I’m so glad you loved the soup! Thanks for sharing your method for incorporating the broccoli stems.
I’ve made this a few times. My kids love it. When my youngest got her braces on two weeks ago, I decided to blend it and that was a hit too. Now we’re experimenting with blending parts and leaving the rest. Great recipe!
Hi Leigh, I’m so glad the soup is a hit!
Such a homey soup definitely a 10/10
Hi Mari, I’m so glad you loved it!
Great Soup! My mom approves!
Hi Annie, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Just made this soup and I don’t traditionally make cheese soups but this was DELICOUS. Easy and Quick on a cold snowy day just perfect. Full of flavor and I used low sodium broth. Will definetly make again
Hi Wendy, I’m so glad you loved it!
This was PERFECT – some broccoli cheddar soup are just a pot of thick cheese, but this one was the perfect balance. I used Better Than Bullion Vegetable base and it provided a great flavor. I used my immersion blender to break everything down a bit before I added the cheese, and it was my dream broccoli cheddar soup. You DO have to reheat it on the stove as the recipe suggests. I tried it both ways and it split in the microwave and became grainy, but was just fine on the stove. Keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Soooo gooood! Thank you for an easy yummy recipe!
Definitely recommend the following additions:
(To your taste)
Dry ranch seasoning
Garlic powder
Onion powder
And EXTRA sharp white cheader cheese
Made the flavors more bold and the soup more cheesy!
This was wonderful! I could eat soup everyday and this one is a keeper! I made the recipe as written and looking forward to making it again! I made deli rye bread croutons and loved that! I found it would be 4 servings if a first course. 2-3 servings if main course.
Hi Nette, I’m so glad you loved the soup! The rye croutons sound delicious.
I followed the recipe to a tee. I am not a broccoli and cheese soup expert but I was looking for more of a cheesey taste. Is that due to the Sharp cheddar cheese? It’s was delish but I am a cheese junkie. Thanks!!
Hi Danielle, sharp cheddar should have a stronger flavor than regular or mild cheddar, so I’d recommend using it for the cheesiest flavor. For an even cheesier taste in the future, you could try using a little more cheese or even stirring in some nutritional yeast.
This was the 2nd time I made the broccoli cheddar soup. It turned out great both times.
This time I added grainy mustard, 1 1/2 c lactose free milk and and 1/2 c lactose free half and half.
I added an extra cup of broccoli because I had it and a little more broth cause it needed a bit more liquid.
Soup was delicious!
Served with some crusty French bread!
Hi Pam, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Delicious soup. Healthy with loads of vegetables that I increased! Yum!
Hi Claudia, so glad you loved it!
This soup turned out well. I did customize the recipe a little. I didn’t add the Mustard add I made mine a little creamer by adding a little cream cheese and lactose free half &half. ?
Hi Sharon, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I just made the broccoli and cheddar soup. It’s DELICIOUS! This was my first time making broccoli and cheddar soup. It’s so much better than any I’ve had before. Thank you so much for posting the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
The food looks delicious
This was very good. I followed the recipe but had more broccoli to use up and it was probably closer to twice as much as called for. I followed the suggestion to cut broccoli into bite sized pieces and it was a little thick with broccoli but I love it so it worked. Will definitely make again. Super easy too.
I made this on a cold rainy evening earlier this week and it was simply amazing!! We are a gluten free family, so I easily traded flour for GF flour. I also doubled the recipe, but it was still easy to make, leaving a nice amount of leftovers – they won’t last long. Delish!!
Loved this soup! I didn’t have vegetable broth but used low sodium chicken broth instead; it was fabulous.
I have made this soup more than once. It’s wonderful!
This was really good soup. We had it for dinner tonight. I also added some kale, celery, cilantro and cooked up some bacon and added at the end just before I added the cheese…yum…My grandson really liked it too. It was too chunky so I used my hand blender to break it up some before I added the bacon and cheese.. This recipe is a keeper.
Hi Donna, I’m so glad you and your family loved the soup!