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.
Too bad I can’t afford the $420 dutch oven to make this; I just have my stupid, lame, and capable $50 dutch oven 🙁
My wife and I loved this! It was hearty, yet felt lighter than the store-bought broccoli I cheddar soups I’ve had. I’ll definitely make it again.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Does it need to be a Le Creuset Dutch Oven or can I use a regular dutch oven?
Any dutch oven or large pot will be fine!
No, it has to be at least $400 or it won’t work
I tweaked it by adding some spices and chicken broth instead. My daughter loves it. I made it for the 4th time today. Mistakenly used olive oil instead of butter so I added a bit of butter. Every time I make it, we enjoy it.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
This soup is very thick, I added more milk to thin it out a bit.
I made slight mods. Reduced the butter a tidge and added a bit neufchatel (cream cheese would be fine) with the milk. Also, some ham leftover from the holidays. Pure magic. I can’t get enough!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Great soup! I’ve made it twice but the second time I swapped for chicken broth and added gold potatoes and chicken chunks. Absolutely fantastic with these changes. Thanks for posting!
I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
Soup was fantastic. Used what cheddar instead of orange and I blitzed it with an immersion blender a little bit (still leaving some chunks of broccoli.
The whole family, including teenagers, loved it.
Was really good served in a bread bowl too (if you can take all the carbs!)
*white cheddar, not what cheddar, obviously
Hi Brian, I’m so glad it was such a hit!
Used regular block cheddar shredded it and it curdled
Hi Lucy, if it curdled, try lowering the heat or adding the cheese slower while stirring.
Although my cheese never incorporated well, it was still a hit. Any tips on how to keep the cheese from becoming grainy? I’m really disappointed.
Hi Kaitlin, if you scroll up a little bit in the post, we have some tips for incorporating the cheese. I wonder if one of the first 3 tips was the issue.
Oh my goodness! This tastes like broccoli cheese dip! I put it in a bread bowl and it was pure heaven! Tip: I just used approximate amounts, for instance, the whole bag of cheese, and it was still perfect.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Tasty cheese and broccoli soup. It was really very tasty. Enough for 3 people. Used less cheese (just under 6oz I’d say. And used English mustard instead of Dijon. Simple recipe to prepare. No blending required. My wife was surprised how quick it was for me to cook dinner!
Needs more seasoning and even though I grated my own cheese, it didn’t distribute well and ended up in clumps, even though I followed instructions. Maybe it was the cheese but it was nasty eating a hot clump of cheese…and I love cheese, so that’s really saying something
This is basically simple cheese sauce added to soup. If the proportions are correct it is impossible to get wrong. I would say either you added too much cheese or you should try a different brand next time.
I like to use a good brand of Tillamook cheddar. I sometimes use half cheddar and half Gruyere for a nuttier taste.
Can I double this recipe? I would like to make more than 4 servings….
yep!
Made this for the first time and it was excellent! Used a mixture of 2% and heavy whipping cream cause that is what I had and it turned out well! Will be making this again!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I won’t be making this recipe again- took too long to prep & make. Although it tasted good I had to reheat to add more cheese for flavor & color & it curdled on me using gourmet hand grated cheese.
Too long to prep and cook? Really? This recipe is super quick and easy to make. Chop some onions, carrots and broccoli? That’s like 10 minutes. This soup can be ready in 30. Wanna save time? Buy pre prepped broccoli florets. More expensive but if you’re time is that valuable then maybe worth it? Just don’t go the preshredded cheese route. And gourmet cheese can be tricky. Aged cheddars don’t melt well and will split every time. They are for eating on crackers with a nice bottle of wine. Just use a quality sharp cheddar and spend the 3 minutes it takes to shred it. This recipe is spot on and I will be making this again and again!
Fantastic tip on the aged cheddar!
Phenomenal easy go to recipe.. You can treak it to you liking. It doesn’t fail, you can make any cream based soups off if this roux as well..
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!