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This Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Sundried Tomatoes, takes a classic soup recipes up a few notches. It’s full of amazing flavor and texture!
This soup is easy to make as it comes together in about 30 minutes and it is pure comfort food. You can personalize to your preferences making it chunkier, with bigger pieces of broccoli or smoother, using smaller pieces and blending the soup more – you choose!
I love the taste the addition of sundried tomatoes gives it, but they are totally optional.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients
- Broccoli. I used fresh broccoli but frozen could also be used, you won’t have to cook it as long if using frozen broccoli. Use the florets and you can also use the broccoli stems if you like.
- Cheddar Cheese. I prefer a medium cheddar but you could also use sharp cheddar cheese. A pepper jack cheese would also be delicious. Use freshly grated cheese.
- Flour. Use all purpose flour or a gluten-free flour if desired.
- Vegetables. Celery, white or yellow onion and cloves of garlic.
- Chicken Broth. Substitute vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian.
- Sundried Tomatoes. I use jarred sundried tomatoes that I drain and rinse.
- Bacon. Fry bacon nice and crispy.
- Half and Half. For a creamier soup you could use heavy cream or for a thinner soup use whole milk.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Sundried Tomatoes
- Combine chicken broth and broccoli florets in a pan and bring to a boil, cook until broccoli is tender.
- In another pot, melt butter.
- Add celery, onion and garlic to melted butter and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions soften.
- Mix in flour, stir well to form a roux. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Pour in chicken broth and broccoli to roux and use an immersion blender to get desired consistency.
- Add in 1/2 and 1/2 and cheese. Mix until cheese is melted.
- Add in sundried tomatoes
- Serve hot and garnish top with crisp bacon and grated cheese if desired. Salt and pepper to taste.
Broccoli Soup Hints and Tips
Immersion Blender. I used my immersion blender with this broccoli chedder soup with sundried tomatotes but you could also use a high speed blender. I like my soup smooth so I blended mine quite a bit but if you like chunks, don’t blend as long.
Thick or Thin. I prefer my soup on the thinner side. So, if the soup thickens up too much as it cools, add in some additional chicken broth.
Soup Add Ins. Adding in sun dried tomatoes and bacon takes this soup to the next level! You could also add in carrots or other favorite veggies. Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
Pair This with:
Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in an airtight container it will last up to five days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Be sure and cool the soup completely before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or put frozen soup in a sauce pan on the stove top and warm over low heat, stirring often.
Be sure and use freshly grated cheddar cheese to get creamy broccoli cheese soup. Pre-grated cheese is coated in anti-caking agents which means it won’t melt as smoothly.
For more delicious broccoli recipes try these:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Sundried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 oz. butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups broccoli florets chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
- salt and pepper to taste
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes chopped
- 4 slices of bacon fried crisp, for garnish
Instructions
- In a pan combine stock and broccoli and bring to a boil. Cook until the broccoli is tender.
- In another pot melt butter.
- Add celery, onion and garlic to melted butter and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions soften.
- Add in flour, stir well. This will form a roux. Reduce heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add in chicken broth and broccoli to roux and use an immersion blender to get desired consistency.
- Add in 1/2 and 1/2 and cheese. Mix until cheese is melted.
- Add in sundried tomatoes
- If soup is too thick, thin with additional chicken broth.
- Serve hot and garnish top with crisp bacon.
Vicki O'Dell says
Hubs is upstairs making this right now. I can’t wait for dinner!
I’m so glad you all are doing the weekly menus. I just started this week and so far I’m loving it. Thank you!
Monna Hilton says
Leigh Ann., in your recipe for the broccoli cheese soup what does I c and I/2 cup mean. This soup looks and sounds so good with the basil and sun dried tomatoes added for a nice change, but at a loss for the above. Thank you for your reply.
Leigh Anne says
It is 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 or half and half.