Cheesy Broccoli Soup is perfect for lunch or dinner! This delicious creamy soup is full of cheese and good for you ingredients.
Ready in just 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights or a fast lunch!
Creamy broccoli soup
This easy-to-make broccoli soup is so full of flavor! I love making it for lunch or a quick and easy dinner.
I made this Cheesy Broccoli Soup last weekend for lunch. It was a perfect soup for lunch. My whole family loved it! After the first bite, they gobbled up the bowl and then came back for seconds.
Key ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Broccoli - You need about ½ pound or 2 cups of fresh broccoli. You can use the stems and the heads.
- Carrots - The carrots add a bit of sweetness and great color
- Onion and Garlic - Adds flavor
- Stock - I use chicken stock, but if you want to make a vegetarian version, use a veggie stock.
- Milk -Use whole milk or 2% milk. For a creamier version, you could also use half-and-half cream.
- Cheese - Medium or sharp cheddar cheese. It's best to buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.
Step-by-step directions
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Sautee carrots and onions together until softened
- Add flour, garlic and seasoning
- Slow whisk in chicken broth and then add broccoli
- Cook until broccoli is soft
- Puree soup with an immersion blender
- Add milk and return to a low simmer
- Remove soup from heat and slowly whisk in cheese
- Serve hot topped with croutons and additional shredded cheese
Recipe tips
- Make certain the broccoli and carrots are soft before pureeing
- Puree as smooth as you'd like. You can leave large chunks, just a few chunks, or make your soup very smooth and creamy.
- Use an immersion blender or process in small batches in a regular blender
Recipe Faqs
Yes, just reheat over a low heat, stirring often. Try not to let the soup come to a boil.
Make certain you remove the soup from the heat before adding the cheese. If the soup is too hot, the cheese will break.
More delicious soups to try
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Clam Chowder
- Creamy Potato Soup
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my soup recipes!
Cheesy Broccoli Soup
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 4 cups broccoli (chopped)
- 2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded, about 2 cups)
- croutons (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, sautee butter, onions and carrots until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.¼ cup butter, 1 small onion, 2 carrots
- Add garlic and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring so mixture won't burn. Stir in dried mustard, salt and pepper.1 clove garlic, ¼ cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- Slowly add broth while stirring. Then add broccoli. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until broccoli is softened.4 cups broccoli, 4 cups chicken broth
- Use an immersion blender and puree the soup until the the mixture is creamy and most of the broccoli is pureed. You can leave chunkier or puree until completely smooth.
- Whisk in milk and bring back up to a simmer.2 cups milk
- Remove soup from heat and allow the soup to cool for just a few minutes. Slowly mix in cheese. Stir until melted.8 ounces cheddar cheese
- Serve hot along with additional shreddedc cheese and croutons.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese instead of purchasing pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheese can have an additive so the cheese won't clump together. This additive can prohibit the cheese from melting.
- Make certain the broccoli and carrots are soft before pureeing
-
- Use an immersion blender or process in small batches in a regular blender
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Mo says
Delicious! I used half and half and Irish cheddar. Excellent!
Kathy says
Thank you!!! 🙂
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Great soup Kathy! Perfect for a snowy day like we're having here today. I've not seen a cheesy broccoli soup with carrots in it, and this sounds so tempting and easy to make! I always shred my own cheese too, for that very reason....
Kathy says
Carrots just add a touch of sweetness without adding any sugar! Plus it's a great little spot of color 🙂
geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
Yes, please, to some cheesy broccoli soup - I would love a big bowl for lunch. Who can resist cheese in soup - just delicious. And broccoli is a powerhouse veggie - so it balances out the indulgence of the cheese :).
Manali @ CookWithManali says
the soup sounds delicious, I love love broccoli so I know I will love it!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
I so love the combination of cheese and broccoli! And this soup looks so healthy and delicious! Loving this cozy bowl of YUM!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I LOVE broccoli and cheese soup and yours looks perfect, Kathy! I especially love that this is ready in 20 minutes! Dinner perfection! Cheers, friend!
Kathy says
It is perfection! Sometimes I really need these quick go-to meals!
David @ Spiced says
I love how you used carrots to add a touch of sweetness to this soup...it sounds delicious! And it sounds perfect for these crazy cold days we're having right now. Oh, and great tip about the cheese, too. It's so easy to just grab shredded cheese, but it's so much better to just shred it yourself. I'll be dreaming about a bowl of this soup all day now! 🙂
Kathy says
I love the convenience of already shredded cheese. I just don't like the texture of it. I just buy a block and shred my own.
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I love cheesy broccoli soup! This looks delicious and perfect for this cold weather! I would come back for seconds and thirds!
Kathy says
Absolutely perfect for chilly winter days!
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says
Cheesy broccoli soup - YUM! This looks amazing. It's super hot here at the moment but come winter this would be a real treat!
Kathy says
I could use a little warm weather right about now....I guess I just need to warm up with a bowl of soup!
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
Oh my gosh, we are SOUL SISTERS in the kitchen - I just posted a recipe for broccoli cheddar soup - mine is in the slow cooker. Can't wait to try yours!
Kathy says
Wow! Great minds do think alike! 🙂 I love the idea of making the soup in the slow cooker! I'm definitely going to check your recipe out!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
I will most definitely be making this soup this week ~ husband is off, kids are home, need lots of yummy food when we come home from sledding.
Ok.....this is serious. I've never made a recipe that required me to separate eggs before. With the chocolate Flourless Cake, (I'm recapping here to make sure I get this right) I want to separate the egg yokes and beat those all I want into the chocolate mixture and then I fold in the whites because I don't want those beaten down too much? Should I worry the chocolate mixture will get too hard too fast and do this fairly quickly? And then fold in those egg whites? Is that right?. Is that the reasoning behind separating the eggs? This is my daughters Birthday cake and lots of company is coming over, I gotta get this right! Thanks! Your cake looks better than the first top 10 hits I got on google for this. Wasn't happy with any of those recipes and my mother in law through me a big roasting pan that looks just like the one in your pics today, yippee skippee.
Kathy says
Hi Laura,
Mix the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. You do want the chocolate to cool slightly before you add the yolks. You don't need to worry about it hardening. You separate the eggs so you can whip up the whites to nice soft peaks. This helps add some volume to the cake. It doesn't really rise much, but the whipped whites help a bit. You just want those folded in so you don't deflate them too much. Again, don't worry about being quick. I hope this works out beautifully for you... No pressure with all those guests coming over for the big birthday!
Let me know how it turns out and if you have any other questions! ~Kathy
annie@ciaochowbambina says
This is one of my very favorite soups and I'm just realizing it's been too long since I've had it! Thanks for the reminder and your wonderful recipe!
Kathy says
Thanks, Annie! It is such a great soup...perfect for these cold winter days.
Liv says
This is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I just wish I wasn't lactose-intolerant so I could enjoy cheese more often!
Kathy says
Darn....I wish you could eat cheese more often too! I'd have a tough time living without cheese!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
Kathy I love 20 minute meals and cheesy broccoli soup is probably my favorite soups of all time!! It sounds perfect for cold lazy weekend lunch 🙂 Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!