This easy one pot broccoli cheddar soup is so comforting during the cold months. Simple ingredient list and ready in under an hour.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
During the cold winter months, everyone should have at least one great soup recipe that not only warms and fills you up, but is quick to make any day of the week.
Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup is pretty much what it sounds like: a soup made from pureed broccoli and broth with cheese. Even though it’s pureed, it still has some texture from small chunks of broccoli, which is very welcome.
There are a few keys to making this soup extra special:
- Blanch the broccoli: I like to blanch the broccoli before adding it to the soup. It’s an extra step, but it means you have more control over the texture in the finished soup.
- Save a few broccoli florets for garnish: I also save some of the blanched florets to stir in just before serving. They provide a crispy and colorful contrast to the soup puree.
- Make it extra thick! To thicken the soup and make it extra creamy, I add some all-purpose flour to the base.
CONTINUE READING:
While I prefer to use a cheddar cheese for this soup, you can substitute almost any mild cheese like Colby Jack.
Be sure to grate the cheese yourself. Pre-grated cheese usually has an anti-stick agent on it that keeps it from melting as smoothly.
Make it gluten free!
If you need to make this recipe gluten free or low carb, just omit the flour! You can also substitute some cornstarch (try using a tablespoon and add more as needed).
What to serve with broccoli cheddar soup
Would you like to serve something alongside your creamy, piping hot soup? Crusty bread is of course a classic choice. If you’re stuck indoors and want to bake your own bread, try making potato buns, garlic knots, or rye bread.
A helping of roasted sweet potato fries or even a fresh kale caesar salad would also be a nice side dish.
How to store and freeze broccoli cheddar soup
Leftovers of this soup will keep in the fridge for about five days and reheat well in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
You can also freeze this soup for up to three months! Let cool completely, then transfer to freezer containers or bags and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat straight from the freezer on the stovetop over low heat.
Other creamy soups to try!
- Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
- mushroomcreamsoup
- carrot-ginger soup
- Baked Potato Soup
- Broccoli Apple Soup
Video: How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
0:59
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
ingredients
-
1 big head or two small heads broccoli (just over 1 pound), cut into florets and stalks
-
1/4 Cup unsalted butter
-
1/2 Middle white onion, chopped
-
1 small carrotgrated
-
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
-
1 quart vegetable broth
-
2 cups whole milk
-
8th ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
-
1 teaspoon Salt
-
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
breadTo serve
method
-
Blanch broccoli:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a few large pinches of salt. Add broccoli stalks and blanch until light green and tender but still slightly crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain broccoli. Scoop out about 1 cup of the florets and set aside for the topping.
-
Cooking onions and carrots:
Wipe out the saucepan, set on medium heat and melt the butter. Once melted, add the onions and carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
-
Cook a soup:
Stir in all-purpose flour. The flour forms a paste with the vegetables. Cook for a minute or two to coat the vegetables, then slowly pour in the vegetable broth. Stir constantly as you pour in the broth to avoid lumps.
Once all the broth is added, bring the soup to a simmer. Add milk and the blanched broccoli (except what you save for the topping). Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
-
Puree soup:
Puree with an immersion blender, or allow the soup to cool until no longer steaming and puree in batches in a blender.
(If using a stand mixer, allow the soup to cool slightly and don’t overfill the blender to avoid hot soup splatters!)
-
Taste and serve:
Add the grated cheese, salt and pepper to the pureed soup and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some reserved broccoli and extra cheese. Serve with bread.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 328 | calories |
| 23g | Fat |
| 17g | carbohydrates |
| 14g | protein |
