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Our luscious Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe is an instant favorite worthy of an entire meal. It’s super cheesy, loaded with broccoli, carrots and onions all mixed up in a flavorful vegetable broth. Easily made in under an hour and so much better than take-out!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Back in 2015 I dug out my very old hand-written recipe for broccoli cheese soup and gave it a tune-up, facelift and makeover. More recently I’ve tweaked it a little more and shared it again so it doesn’t get lost in my 1,200 other recipes.
Like our fan favorite Chicken Broccoli Soup, this easy recipe comes together and is on the table in under an hour. All you need to complete this meal is some crispy croutons, crusty artisan bread or a nice round bread bowl for serving.
I loved this soup long before Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup became famous. Luckily the sodium content in our version is about half of Panera’s 1,560 grams for 1 and 1/2 cups of soup. For me, that’s a great reason to make it at home.
Ingredients overview
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- onion
- carrots
- minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- all-purpose flour
- low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
- broccoli florets
- dry mustard powder
- cayenne pepper (optional)
- bay leaf
- half and half or a combination of whole milk and heavy cream
- fresh shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded cheese)
- American cheese (from the deli counter)
How to make our recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- In a Dutch-oven or large pot add the butter and olive oil. Heat on medium until melted then add the diced onion and carrots. Sauté until tender.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper and flour to the vegetables. Cook and stir for a few minutes or until a fond forms on the bottom. Gradually stir in the broth scraping up the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits.
- Add the dry mustard, cayenne, bay leaf and broccoli. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the half-and-half and increase the heat to medium. Once simmering, slowly add both cheese, stirring until completely melted. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook about 10 minutes or until the carrots and broccoli are tender. Remove from the stove.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Ladle soup into bowl or a bread bowl and garnish with additional grated cheddar and plenty of black pepper.
Tips for making the best Broccoli Cheese Soup
- First, don’t rush the step where we brown the flour with the vegetables and build the fond. This is pure flavor enhancement and makes all the difference.
- As you may know American deli cheese is very salty. That’s why I make this recipe with low-sodium vegetable broth and check the seasoning at the end. It’s easy enough to add more salt to individual bowls without making the whole pot inedible.
- We only use fresh shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese and never add pre-shredded cheese from a package. A better quality of cheese produces a better soup.
- For a creamier texture (or to hide the broccoli from the kids) blitz the soup with an immersion blender before serving.
Storing Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This soup will keep up to five days in an airtight container stored in the fridge. You can portion it out to individual servings if desired and freeze for up to 3 months. However, I prefer this soup fresh made instead of from frozen.
Why you’re going to love this soup
The broccoli flavor is front and center with just a little hint of heat from the cayenne. The cheese is sharp, creamy and rich, the carrots are soft but not mushy and the broth is exceptional. This is some seriously delicious comfort food!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and julienned
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (26g)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock (plus more for thinning if desired)
- 4 cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups half & half or use whole milk or a combination of 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded plus extra for garnish
- 4 ounces American cheese (from the deli counter) cubed
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or soup pot add the butter and olive oil. Warm on medium heat until melted. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until tender.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper and flour to the vegetables. Cook and stir for a few minutes until a fond forms on the bottom of the pan and browns slightly. Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth scraping up the bottom to release the flavorful bits. Add the dry mustard, cayenne (if using), bay leaf and broccoli. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the half-and-half to the soup and increase the heat to medium. Once simmering gradually add both cheeses, stirring until completely melted. Reduce the heat to low, cover and heat for about 10 minutes or until the carrots and broccoli are very tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Ladle the soup into bowls or bread bowls and garnish with additional grated cheddar if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
More great broccoli recipes to try!
Broccoli Salad Recipe: A Burst of Freshness and Flavor
This Broccoli Salad is anything but ordinary. Our recipe showcases the versatility of broccoli and elevates it to new heights of deliciousness. With its vibrant colors, satisfying crunch, and creamy dressing, this salad will captivate your taste buds.
View this Recipe
Chicken Broccoli Soup
A silky, creamy, cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup recipe that's delicious and very easy to make. Once the prep is done, this soup is on the table in under 30 minutes.
View this Recipe
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
A quick and easy stir-fry loaded with tender beef, crispy broccoli, sweet onions and carrots.
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Original published October 2015, updated April 2025
Julie G
I made this for dinner tonight after a weekend away for the holiday. Prepped everything this morning and when it came time to begin it was a breeze. This soup is excellent!!
I doubled the recipe so I could freeze some for a later date. The texture was spot on…not too thick and not too thin, just right. I like the addition of carrot for a bit of sweetness. I didn’t have half and half on hand so I used equal parts of whole milk and heavy cream, which worked out fine.
I love these tried and true recipes with basic ingredients I typically have on hand for an easy delicious meal.
Thanks for another keeper, Tricia!
Tricia Buice
Outstanding! Thank you so much Julie. We’re thrilled you enjoyed this soup and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a very Happy New Year!
Deborah Coates
The best soup ever! My British friends, African friends and Americans too. For any age group. Thank you!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Deborah! We LOVE this soup and am thrilled soup weather is here again 🙂
Terry Covington
I made this for dinner recently for me and my mom, and wanted to let you know how wonderful it was! I particularly liked it because it doesn’t require a blender or anything fancy in order to turn out great! Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much for commenting Terry. We thought it was terrific too 🙂 I loved the texture with little chunks of broccoli. Thanks so much for reading and trying our recipes. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Toni
This sounds so creamy and delicious. I love soup served in bread like this too.
Tricia Buice
My husband loves the bread bowls too – I am a bread dipper myself 🙂