Broccoli cheese soup is creamy, cheesy, loaded with fresh broccoli, and oh so delicious. And takes just 30 minutes to make, so prep all of your ingredients, so they’re ready when you need them.
How to make Broccoli and Cheese Soup:
Chop four cups of small broccoli florets and you can also use the stems if you want, just peel and dice them into bite-sized pieces.
Peel three medium carrots and slice them into thin rings.
You’ll need one cup of finely diced onion, so slice one medium onion.
We’re just using regular yellow onion, but you can use a white onion or a sweet onion.
Get the cheese out of the refrigerator. You’ll need 2/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and two cups or four ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
In a five and a half quart dutch oven or soup pot, over medium heat melt two tablespoons of butter and we always use unsalted butter in all of our cooking so we can control the salt.
Add the finely diced onion and sliced carrots and saute until the onion has softened or about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add four cups of low sodium chicken broth.
Season with one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of sea salt, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, and a quarter teaspoon of dried thyme. Bring that to a boil over medium heat.
Add the broccoli, bring it back to a simmer then partially cover and continue cooking until the broccoli is softened.
This takes about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the broccoli.
Once the broccoli is at your desired doneness, remove and set aside two cups of vegetables.
You’ll need to blend the remaining soup in the pot.
You can use an immersion blender and blend it right inside the pot, or transfer it in batches to a blender or food processor. Blend it until it’s completely smooth or your desired consistency.
Now to thicken the soup, in a small bowl combine half a cup of heavy whipping cream with three tablespoons of all-purpose flour and whisk vigorously until smooth and no longer lumpy.
Then blend in one teaspoon of Dijon mustard. The mixture will be thick like frosting.
Bring the blended soup back to a boil, then whisk in the cream and flour mixture, whisking for about three to four minutes or until it’s completely smooth and thickened.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in your Parmesan cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese is dissolved into the soup.
Take it off the heat before blending in the soup because if the mixture gets too hot or starts to boil, the cheese may clump together and won’t incorporate properly.
Lastly, stir in the cooked vegetables that we set aside earlier and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. The soup is ready to be served.
You can transfer it into bowls and serve with toast or crackers, but our favorite way to serve is in a bread bowl.
To make individual bread bowls, you’ll need six to seven inches in diameter sourdough round loaves, also called boules. Using a serrated knife, cut off the tops.
Scoop out the centers with a spoon to make room for the soup and don’t get rid of those centers. They are delicious and I love to serve them with soup.
Cut one bread bowl for each serving, then broil in the center of your oven for two to three minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
Now, ladle a generous amount of the soup right into the bread bowl.
I think what really makes this is not just adding the cheddar cheese, but also that Parmesan which just adds an extra layer of cheesy goodness to this soup.
Fresh Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 people 1x
Description
Fresh Broccoli Cheese Soup Is ready in less than 30 minutes served with tender broccoli, Cheddar cheese, It's an easy, creamiest, richest, and most amazing soup and SO MUCH FLAVOUR!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup onion finely diced (from 1 medium onion)
- 2 cups carrots (3 medium), sliced into thin rings
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups broccoli (2 heads of broccoli), cut into small florets
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups shredded), plus more to garnish
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (mild) shredded
Instructions
- Prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking. In a dutch oven or medium soup pot, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add onion and carrots and saute until onions soften (5 minutes).
- Add 4 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp thyme. Bring to a boil then add broccoli and reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until broccoli is softened (10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of broccoli).
- Remove 2 cups of vegetables with a strainer and set aside. Blend remaining soup in the pot with an immersion blender or puree in batches in a blender. Blend until smooth or your desired consistency.
- In a separate small bowl, combine 1/2 cup cream with 3 Tbsp flour and whisk vigorously until smooth and no longer lumpy then blend in 1 tsp dijon. The mixture will be thick like frosting. Bring the blended soup back to a boil and whisk in the cream/flour mixture, whisking for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth and thickened.
- Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the cheeses then stir in the reserved cooked vegetables. Season with salt to taste and serve right away. Garnish with more cheddar if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 234
