Soups and Stews
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
A rich, thick, creamy, and cheesy Broccoli Cheese Soup. So filling it works as a stand alone meal. What could
- Serves 8
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 27 minutes
- Total 37 minutes
When I go to Panera Bread I love to do the You Pick Two with soup and salad. My favorite soup is the Cheddar Broccoli Soup. Judging by the number of copycat recipes of it on Pinterest, it’s most people’s favorite. And what’s not to love about broccoli and cheese?
As good as Panera’s soup is, homemade Broccoli Cheddar soup is so much better. It has a much fresher taste and I find that a broccoli and cheese soup is the one soup that tastes best served just after it is made.
Three Types Of Cheese
Three kinds of cheese (and lots of them!) make this soup fantastically cheesy. There’s fontina, white cheddar (you could use yellow), and cream cheese which really adds a wonderful creaminess.
There’s no need to cook the broccoli ahead of time, that just adds an extra step. Cut it into small pieces and let it cook in the soup instead. Once it’s cooked I like to take a potato masher and break the broccoli up some. It helps thicken the soup and it’s easier to eat when you only have small pieces of broccoli in the soup.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe Tips
You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Be sure to turn the heat to LOW before adding the cheese or it may separate and give the soup a grainy texture.
Make It Spicy
If you want to make this soup spicy, add half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes instead of a quarter teaspoon.
Can Broccoli Cheese Soup Be Frozen?
Yes! This soup freezes well. Be sure to cool it completely before transfering it to an airtight container. When you are ready to eat it, simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove.
How To Serve
This soup goes great with some crusty bread and a garden salad with Creamy Italian Dressing. For dessert, try some Samoa Bundt Cake!
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Recipe
Broccoli Cheese Soup
A fabulously rich and creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup with 3 types of cheese. Can be made vegetarian.
- Serves 8
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 27 minutes
- Total 37 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, (diced)
- 2 carrots, (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 8 cups chopped broccoli, (small bite-sized pieces)
- 1 (8-ounce) block Fontina cheese, (shredded)
- 1 (8-ounce) block white Cheddar cheese, (shredded)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1
In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Sprinkle flour over onion/carrot mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
- 3
Gradually add chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add half-and-half. Bring to a simmer.
- 4
Add broccoli and stir into mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, use a potato masher to break broccoli up some.
- 5
Turn heat to low. Add shredded cheeses. Stir until melted. Add cream cheese in small chunks and whisk well to combine.
- 6
Stir in salt, peppers, and garlic powder.
- 7
Let simmer for a few minutes and serve.
Notes
To make this soup spicy, double the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian. Nutritional info is provided as an estimate only and will vary based on brands of products used. Not to be used for specific dietary needs.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Nutrition
- Calories469 kcal
- Carbohydrates17 g
- Protein21 g
- Fat37 g
- Saturated Fat22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat9 g
- Trans Fat0.2 g
- Cholesterol114 mg
- Sodium1161 mg
- Potassium518 mg
- Fiber3 g
- Sugar7 g
- Vitamin A4240 IU
- Vitamin C81 mg
- Calcium492 mg
- Iron1 mg
