I recently bought a couple of containers of broccoli cheddar soup from Sam’s club for a quick dinner (we have a lot of quick dinners happening these days). My whole family loved the creamy and cheesy goodness of broccoli cheddar soup, so when a local Mennonite bulk food store had broccoli on sale, I knew it was time to test out a homemade version of this cheesy comfort food. Feel free to adjust any of the ingredients to this soup to make it the texture and taste you love. If you love simmering up a pot of soup, be sure to scroll below the recipe card for a list of our favorites!
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Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter 4 tablespoons
- 1/2 cup finely diced onions
- 1 cup matchstick or shredded carrots
- 3 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half or whole milk *see note
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
- salt and pepper to taste *see suggested amount below
- 3 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 oz. cubed, processed cheddar cheese (Velveeta) *see note
Optional for serving:
- Additional shredded cheddar cheese and bread bowls
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, celery and broccoli. Sauté the veggies in butter until the onions are translucent and the remaining veggies are crisp-tender.
- Stir flour into the veggie mixture until no streaks of white remain, then stir in chicken broth, half and half, turmeric (for color), salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes to eliminate the flour taste and cook the veggies.
- Stir in cheeses and allow to melt, then remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Additional comfort food soups you may enjoy:
- The Best Cheeseburger Soup
- Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Amish Meatball Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Salmon Chowder
- Fish and Veggie Soup
- Classic Beef Stew
Ingredients needed for this broccoli cheddar soup: Chicken broth, half and half or whole milk, diced onion, salt and pepper, flour, turmeric (for color), celery, butter, carrots, broccoli, cheddar cheese and/or processed cheddar cheese (Velveeta).
Can I use pre-shredded cheddar cheese in this broccoli cheddar soup?
Yes, you can. But I do find that some pre-shredded cheddar cheeses do not melt as well. I would recommend going for a mild or medium shredded cheddar vs. sharp cheddar. You can add the cheeses to taste. I prefer a blend of freshly shredded cheddar cheese and processed cheese, but you may opt to add only one or the other. Like I said earlier, feel free to adjust the ingredients to taste.
Step 1: Melt butter in a large stockpot, then add the veggies and sauté until the onions are translucent and the remaining veggies are crisp-tender.
Can I eliminate some of the veggies for broccoli cheddar soup?
Obviously, I wouldn’t eliminate the broccoli because broccoli is kind of the whole point of this soup, but you could reduce or eliminate any of the other veggies if you don’t have them on hand or prefer to keep them out.
Step 2-3: Stir flour into the veggie mixture until no streaks of white remain, then stir in chicken broth, half and half, turmeric (optional, for color), salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes to eliminate the flour taste and cook the veggies. Stir in the cheeses and allow to melt.
Help! My soup is too thick/thin.
Thankfully, fixing the texture of a creamy soup base is pretty simple. If your soup is too thin, add a slurry of flour and water until you reach the desired thickness. You can also try adding a little more cheddar cheese, but I would be careful with adding additional processed cheddar cheese because it can change the taste of the soup. If the soup is too thick, simply add a little more broth or water.
Final touches: Allow the soup to cool slightly then serve. We enjoyed our broccoli cheddar soup in hollowed out bread bowls that I found on sale at a supermarket. You may even enjoy making homemade bread bowls from Sally’s Baking Addiciton.
Storage options for this broccoli cheddar soup:
I personally do not recommend freezing this soup due to separation of the soup while it freezes, but you can keep the soup in the refrigerator (in an airtight container or tightly wrapped) for up to 5 days.
Feel free to pin this soup recipe for later (pin button in the recipe card) and be sure to tag me on Instagram to show of a photo of your own broccoli cheddar soup creation. Thank you for your support!
