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
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.
Thank you. Loved this.
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Sarah, I think the cheese mixture would separate as it thaws.
Excellent recipe. This was my first successful
soup I have ever made. Thank you!
Instead of medium or large vegetable diced how about cups of diced vegetables. What is medium or large? That’s an ambiguous term.
This recipe never fails. Absolutely never fails me. This time I went chunkier with my broccoli. With some sourdough bred on the side or sometimes I get fancy a buy a sourdough bowl from Panera; delicious.
Was low on milk and did 1:3 ratio of milk:veggie stock and still came out delicious !
Great soup!!
But why did it curdle.?
Made a double recipe (as always) — great! Used 1 tsp ground mustard seed in place of prepared Dijon; added a few dashes of Cholula (salty hot sauce). A touch salty for my taste but fab. Used red onion in place of yellow, which adds color and character, and pre-cooked broccoli that I just added at the end, after the cheese. Will be eating with toast for breakfast.
Hi Pat, next time try adding the milk a little slower while continuing to whisk and maybe turn the heat down a little bit. Hope that helps!
I just made this and noticed that too, if was fine first made but when it cooled down and reheated it wasn’t as soupy. I probably will add a little more veggies stock when I reheat it
I would ditto Jeanine and say slowly incorporate the milk. Anytime I do a roux, I start by pouring the milk in slowly to make sure it comes together smoothly with the flour. Then I pour in the rest while whisking. I also do this when adding the broth. So I add the broth first and then the vegetables. And then at the end, it’s important to put the cheese in slowly. I add my cheese in 4 parts. I stir and let each addition of cheese melt and incorporate before adding the next part. I hope this helps the next time you make it.
Delicious! So easy and yummy. Nice for a warm meal in the winter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made it tonight and we all liked it. I’d never made broccoli cheddar soup before. I used 1% milk and it seemed fine. I followed the instructions and it did not separate
Do you have a version or way to make this gluten free?
Very light! Not heavy. It coats the spoon and appears a little grainy but flavor remains. I have a new stove…maybe I had the heat too high. Will definitely make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I absolutely totally love it. It was so quick and easy fantastic. Going to have it once a week or every other week.
My 6 year old is extremely selective these days but requested broccoli and cheddar soup for dinner. I simplified the recipe (excluded the carrot and mustard) and she loved it. Will double it next time for leftovers 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Lindsay, I’m so glad the soup was a hit!
Hi, wanting to try this recipe but a little taken aback by how many had their soup separating. What is the best way to avoid this?
Thanks,
Tina
Hi Tina, the best way to prevent the soup from separating is to 1) Grate the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t work here! 2) Add the cheese slowly as you whisk. The more gradually you add it, the better it will incorporate with the milk. Make sure to keep your pot over very low heat as well.
If I might add; using only sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese can very easily lead to curdling and splitting. I have found that using half sharp and half medium or mild cheddar Yields smoother results.
Amazing recipe! I added cayenne pepper and hot sauce for a kick !
Yum, I love that!
This soup was very tasty! It did separate at the end and I was wondering if you could tell me if that’s because the heat was too high when I added the cheese?
Mines too last night. I think I added too much cheese too. Maybe the cold milk. The milk needed to be warm temp. I’ll retry later.
When I made mine the first time it separated as well. I was kinda rushing the process (I know better but I was too excited for some soup lol) so I had mine slightly above the 3 (normally for simmer I would have it between the 2 & 3) I just made another batch last night and cooked it correctly and absolutely no separation, it was perfect. Not sure how high you cooked yours at but maybe bump it down a bit next time and see if that helps.
Any time I’m making Broccoli Cheddar soup or potato soup I allow mine to warm to around room temperature. I used to just add it straight from the fridge but tried room temp one day and it was SOO much better!!! I think it even turns out creamier with room temp milk. Or substitute in Heavy whipping cream for the ultimate creamy soup 😋
When you make the butter and flour you are making a roux and because this is warm you want cold milk added. Usually its better to use block cheese it does better. Reheat next day for it to come back together again.
I’m planning to make this soup and am very excited! Do you know if I could use frozen broccoli instead of fresh, or what I’d need to differently for that?
Hi Carly, frozen broccoli would totally work here. If you’re roasting florets for the topping just make sure it’s thawed and patted dry before roasting in the oven, and you may have to adjust the timing.
Could you use corn starch in place of flour in order to thicken the soup?
My hubby had teeth pulled and is on a soft-food diet for a week, so I’ve decided to try several of the soups on your site. This is the first I’ve made and it is amazing!! Would you happen to have nutrition facts available though?
Hi Sherri, I’m so glad he enjoyed it. I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.
Great soup recipe! The only things I added was some smoked paprika & diced ham. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you loved it!
This was a hit! All my people cleared their bowls, including the children. And it came together quickly. I was skeptical of adding croutons but it was fantastic.
Hi Caitlin, I’m so glad it was such a hit!