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Smooth and cheesy Broccoli Cheese Soup is the perfect meal for a cold winters night. If you puree it enough, the kids will never know there is broccoli in it!
Soup season is officially open at our house. Today’s recipe for broccoli cheese soup is the perfect blend of cheese and broccoli. Roasting the broccoli a bit before adding it to the broccoli cheese soup gives it even more flavor. I just roasted it in a little oil over medium heat my large heavy Dutch oven pan until the broccoli starting getting a little charred.
This broccoli cheese soup isn’t too cheesy and there isn’t too much broccoli. It’s just right. I used a combination of medium cheddar cheese and a sharp white cheddar cheese to give it even more flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- Broccoli Florets
- Chicken Broth
- Cheddar Cheese, medium and sharp white
- Half & Half
- Butter
- Onion
- Carrot
- Canola Oil
- Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Paprika
- Salt and Pepper
How To Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Heat oil in a heavy pan over high heat. Add in broccoli and cook until broccoli begins to char on the bottom.
- Stir in salt and pepper and continue to cook until tender
- Remove to a bowl
- Add butter, onion and carrot to the pan.
- Cook, stirring frequently until tender.
- Lower heat and add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add in chicken broth, broccoli, bay leaves, half & half and bring to a boil.
- Reduce and simmer until broccoli is completely tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and pour soup into a high speed blender, blend soup.
- Return soup to pan and add in cheese a cup at a time. Stir until cheese melts.
- Season with paprika and salt and pepper.
Tips
- If you want a chunkier soup, only blend half of soup in the blender.
- If you have an emmursion blender, you can blend the soup right in the pot!
- It is important to grate your own cheese for the soup. Pre-grated cheese has added ingredients to prevent melting and clumping in the bag. That also keeps it from melting smoothly in your soup! Grating your own cheese will give you a better texture.
Check out a few more of my favorite soup recipes:
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Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2-3 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 cup carrot peeled and diced
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups half & half
- 2 cups medium cheddar cheese grated
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- bacon bits
- green onions
- cheese grated
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy pan over high heat. Add in broccoli and cook until broccoli begins to char on the bottom. Stir, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until tender and charred on both sides. Remove to a bowl
- Add in butter, onion and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently until tender. Lower heat and add in garlic, cook for an additional minute.
- Add in chicken broth, broccoli, bay leaves, 1/2 & 1/2 and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer until broccoli is completely tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and pour soup into a high speed blender, blend soup (only blend half of soup if you want a chunkier soup). Return soup to pan and add in cheese a cup at a time. Stir until cheese melts. Season with paprika and salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts:
Tisha says
This looks absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m adding these ingredients to my shopping list for the week! :o)
Kathleen Durrant says
When do you add the broccoli back in??
Leigh Anne says
Sorry about that – Ive updated the recipe to reflect that.