Name: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
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)

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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!

An overhead shot of a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup topped with additional shredded cheddar cheese.

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.

A collage of ingredients used to make broccoli cheddar soup.

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)

Match stick carrots and chopped onions in a Dutch oven.

Carrots and onions sautéed in a Dutch oven pot.

A soup pot with broccoli and carrots being stirred in.

A Dutch oven with cheddar cheese being added to a base soup.

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.

An overhead shot of a pot of broccoli soup with a ladle scooping some out.

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.

A bowl of cheesy broccoli cheddar soup with bread on the side.

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

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1 15

Yield: servings

Course: Soup

Author: Tricia

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5 from 10 votes

A thick, creamy, delicious and flavorful soup packed with carrots, broccoli and sharp cheddar cheese

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 information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

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