This homemade creamy broccoli cheddar soup is rich with real sharp cheddar, simple ingredients, and big on comfort food flavor. It’s cheesy, cozy, and endlessly comforting, making it feel like a warm hug for your soul with every bite.
The Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup From Scratch
This soup recipe is the result of a three-generation recipe that I updated and perfected without losing what made it special in the first place. I didn’t change much; I mainly balanced the flavors, removed the processed cheese, and added different seasonings to round it all out.
It’s rich and creamy without feeling heavy, deeply cheesy thanks to real sharp cheddar, and full of fresh broccoli flavor. Great soup should taste like the ingredients you put in it.
TKW Family Love
Chef Lori You NAILED IT! I made this on a cold, rainy spring day and OMG! Simple, quick and soul warming! The flavors are so delicately balanced It’s like a Cheese-a-palooza party for broccoli😍 definitely on repeat.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Ingredients You’ll Need
Growing up, I ate just 3 vegetables. Broccoli was not one of those vegetables. It wasn’t until I tasted my Grandma’s broccoli cheese soup that I came to like it. Granted, it took me years to eat it beyond cheesy soup, but now, I love it pretty much love it all ways – including raw.
- Veggies: Broccoli florets, onions, carrots
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: freshly shredded
- Seasonings
- Liquids: chicken stock and half & half
- Butter
Chef Lori’s Tips for The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Always shred your cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent cheese meltability and makes soup grainy.
- Use sharp or extra-sharp cheddar. Mild cheddar disappears flavor-wise.
- Thickness: If your soup is too thick, thin it out with a splash of warm milk, heavy cream, or broth.
- Your soup will thicken as it cools, but as you warm it slowly, it’ll return to its normal thickness. This is totally normal.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
If you look at my ingredients picture above, you will see I have everything measured out, cut, and grated. This is an easy recipe to make, and I find it easier to have it all ready to go rather than chop/grate as I go.
- To a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, add some of the butter. As the butter melts, add the chopped onions, carrots, and seasoning mixture, and sauté, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter and melt. When melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, whisking often.
- Slowly pour in some of the chicken stock, whisking as you pour to prevent lumps. Continue adding the rest of the stock and the half-and-half.
- Once fully combined, add in the broccoli florets and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened and the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Remove from the heat, and once it stops boiling, slowly add the grated cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring to melt it into the soup. Taste for seasoning.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup FAQs
- Can I use frozen broccoli? You can, but fresh is best. Do not thaw it first before adding it to the soup.
- What’s the best cheese for broccoli cheddar soup? Sharp or extra-sharp cheddar is the best. It gives the soup a bold, cheesy flavor and melts beautifully.
- Why did my broccoli cheese soup turn grainy? Graininess happens when the heat is too high or the cheese is added too quickly. For details on this, read “Why cheese sauce turns gritty and breaks“.
- Can I make this gluten-free? Absolutely! Substitute the flour with gluten-free AP flour.
- Can I freeze broccoli cheddar soup? I don’t recommend it, as dairy-based soups can separate when reheated. If you do freeze it, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it over low heat, stirring gently.
- Can I use milk instead of half-and-half? Of course! Whole milk works well, although the soup will be slightly lighter and less rich.
- Can I make it thicker? Of course! You can take about half of the soup, put it in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Pour that back into the pot, sti,r and then when it’s time to add the cheese, add a bit more.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Made completely from scratch with simple, real ingredients, this is the king of homemade broccoli cheddar soup you come back to again and again. No shortcuts, no processed cheese, no fillers… just a classic, comforting soup that stands the test of time.
- MADE WITH REAL CHEDDAR:
- COZY, CREAMY & COMFORTING:
- FROM-SCRATCH & BUDGET-FRIENDLY: Simple, affordable ingredients you probably have on hand.
- FAMILY TESTED, CHEF PERFECTED: A three-generation recipe refined for the best balanced flavor and texture.
- CUSTOMIZABLE: Whether you like it with extra cheese, thicker, or more brothy, you can make it your own
How to Reheat Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Skip the microwave for this and use the stovetop. Only use the microwave as a last resort.
- Oven: Add the soup to a saucepan and reheat it over low heat. If you try to rush it, you’ll separate the soup, making it gritty, grainy, and broken.
- Microwave (if you have to): Place the soup in a microwave-safe dish and heat at 50% power in 30-second increments until warmed through, stirring after each increment.
What to Serve With Cheddar Broccoli Soup
To me, it has to be in a bread bowl, but here are some great suggestions:
- Bread Bowl: Use my viral hoagie recipe, but shape it as a soup bowl. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Add-Ins and Substutions
So when I make this for Mr. Fantabulous and I, I will sometimes mix it up and add other things to the soup. It’s a great way to add clean out the veggie drawer.
- Proteins: crispy bacon, chopped ham, shredded chicken
- Vegetables: cauliflower, celery, leeks work really well.
- Dairy: Whole milk, heavy cream, evaporated milk
- Thickeners: gluten-free ap flour, blended potatoes
- Cheese: Swap some of the sharp cheddar for white cheddar, Gruyère or Monterey Jack
Here’s what I used:
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With my parents and grandmother gone for decades, recreating their recipes helps me feel like they’re still with me in the kitchen. All those memories of sitting at the kitchen table, chopping broccoli or shaving carrots, come back, and it’s as if I can picture my grandma standing at the stove, making this soup.
To me, recipes are so much more than taste. The memories they create and evoke are simply priceless. This is why I became a Chef and why I share my passion with the world. Go out and create amazing memories with your loved ones, as I do with Mr. Fantabulous through my recipes!
TKW Family Love
This soup exceeded my expectations! This was so creamy and exploding with flavor. In most broccoli cheese soups, it always tastes like cheese soup with mushy broccoli but this was INCREDIBLE!
I could actually taste the broccoli and the cheese. They didn’t compete but rather complimented each other. Follow it as written and wouldn’t change a thing!
Every single recipe I’ve made if your has been amazing. This one; this may just be my favorite. Thank you for finally giving us the perfect broccoli cheese soup!.
The Best Homemade Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
This homemade creamy broccoli cheddar soup is rich with real sharp cheddar, simple ingredients, and big on comfort food flavor. It’s cheesy, cozy, and endlessly comforting, making it feel like a warm hug for your soul with every bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 servings
- Category: cheesy soups, comfort food, one pot soups, soup
- Method: stove top
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups half and half
- 2 pounds of broccoli florets
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the kosher salt, paprika, pepper, and dry mustard; set aside. To a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan, add 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- As the butter melts, add the chopped onions, carrots, and seasoning mixture, and sauté, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Next, add the remaining butter and melt it. When melted, add the all-purpose flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, whisking often.
- Slowly pour in about a cup of chicken stock, whisking as you pour. You want to ensure there are no lumps. Continue pouring in the remaining chicken stock, then the half-and-half, slowly and whisking as you pour.
- Cook for 2 minutes, whisking often to ensure no flour lumps remain.
- Add in the broccoli florets and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened and the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Remove from the heat, and once it stops boiling, slowly add the grated cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring to melt it into the soup. Taste for seasoning. Serve. Store any remaining cooled soup, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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