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Creamy broccoli cheddar soup in a white bowl topped with shredded cheddar, with crusty bread

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Author: Olivia Stone | Home Chef
385kcal
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Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Thick, creamy broccoli cheddar soup with tender broccoli, carrots and sharp cheddar that never turns grainy. One pot, ready in 45 minutes.
Servings 6 servings
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter (57 g)
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (31 g)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (480 ml), or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups whole milk (480 ml)
  • 1 cup half-and-half (240 ml)
  • 1 lb broccoli (450 g), florets chopped small and stems peeled and diced (about 5 cups)
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots (110 g), or 2 medium carrots, grated
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (225 g), freshly shredded from a block (about 2 cups)

Equipment

  • 5 to 6 quart heavy pot or Dutch oven
  • Whisk
  • Box grater
  • Immersion blender (optional)

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
    Diced onion softening in melted butter in a Dutch oven
  2. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until it smells toasty and looks like wet sand.
    Stirring flour into butter and onions to make a roux for broccoli cheddar soup
  3. Slowly pour in the broth while whisking so no lumps form. Whisk in the milk and half-and-half.
    Whisking broth into the roux for broccoli cheddar soup
  4. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) and cook about 5 minutes, until the base coats the back of a spoon.
    Creamy soup base coating the back of a wooden spoon
  5. Add the broccoli, carrots, dry mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 to 18 minutes, stirring often, until the broccoli is fork-tender.
    Broccoli florets and carrots added to the creamy soup base
  6. For a thicker soup, blend about one third of it with an immersion blender, leaving the rest chunky (optional).
    Partly blending broccoli soup with an immersion blender
  7. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cheddar one handful at a time, stirring until each handful melts before adding more.
    Adding freshly shredded cheddar to broccoli soup off the heat
  8. Taste, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve hot, in bread bowls if you like.
    Ladling broccoli cheddar soup into a white bowl

Nutrition

Serving1.33cupsCalories385kcalCarbohydrates18gProtein16gFat28gSaturated Fat17gSodium590mgFiber3gSugar8g

Notes

No grainy soup: shred the cheese yourself and add it off the heat. Never boil the soup after the cheese goes in.
Frozen broccoli: use 1 lb (450 g) straight from frozen and simmer about 8 minutes.
Gluten-free: swap the flour for the same amount of sweet rice flour and use gluten-free broth.
Storage: refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days. Freeze up to 2 to 3 months, ideally before adding the cheese. Reheat gently with a splash of milk to 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition is an estimate per serving.

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