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This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is the perfect mix of cheesy comfort and nutritious veggies, making it a family favorite. It’s quick, easy to prepare, and tastes even better the next day—perfect for cozy weeknight dinners or meal prepping!
Love creamy soup recipes? Try our Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Creamy Chicken Taco Soup, or our Creamy Potato Soup next!
Cheesy, Cozy, and Easy!
Broccoli cheddar soup is one of those classic comfort foods.
It’s rich, creamy, and loaded with cheesy goodness, making it one of my family’s favorite go-to meals when we need something warm and satisfying. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to whip up—even on a busy weeknight!
I love making it with fresh broccoli for the perfect bite, but frozen works in a pinch too. And let’s be honest, that sharp cheddar flavor with a hint of Dijon mustard? It’s soup perfection.
And trust me when I tell you to go ahead and make a batch of tater-tots.. They are the BEST served right in the bowl of soup.
Reasons You Will Love This!
- Quick to Make: Cooks in under 30 minutes.
- Rich & Creamy: Full of cheesy, comforting flavor.
- Versatile: Use fresh or frozen broccoli; customize easily.
- Perfect for Leftovers: Reheats and freezes beautifully.
- Kid-Friendly: Even picky eaters love it!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Broccoli: I prefer using fresh broccoli because it can be chopped into bite-sized pieces for even cooking. If using frozen broccoli, simply add it to the soup to defrost, and if the pieces are too large, you can blend part of the soup with an immersion blender for a smoother texture.
- Carrots: Adds color and a natural sweetness to the soup.
- Onion & Garlic: Yellow onion adds a sweet, savory flavoring to the soup, but white onion works just as well if that’s what you have on hand! Fresh garlic is always best.
- Flour: This recipe was written with all purpose flour, but you can use a gluten free version. Or omit if desired and use only cornstarch.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the soup and when combined with the evaporated milk helps to prevent any curdling or separating of the soup when reheated.
- Evaporated Milk: This gives a richness to the soup without using heavy cream. The combination of evaporated milk and cornstarch helps to stabilize our soup, making it super easy to reheat this soup without any separation.
- Broth: Use either chicken broth or vegetable broth (using vegetable broth makes this a vegetarian recipe).
- Seasoning Blend: The spices used include salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of smoked paprika.
- Dijon: Gives the soup a subtle tang and enhances the sharpness of the cheddar cheese.
- Cheese: Use sharp cheddar for a bold, cheesy flavor that melts smoothly into the soup. Grate your own cheese from the block to get the best melt.
✶ Extra broccoli on hand? Try our Broccoli Salad recipe!
Let’s Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
- In a large dutch oven, drizzle the olive oil and heat over medium low heat. Add in the onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour until a paste forms and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and evaporated milk, stir until well combined.
- Add the broccoli, shredded carrots, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Measure the cornstarch into a small bowl, then add 1/4 cup of the warmed broth of the soup. Stir this together until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the soup pot.
- Cover the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Allow this to cook for 15 minutes, removing the lid to stir occasionally. Remove the lid and test that the broccoli has cooked and is soft and tender.
- Remove from heat, stir in the dijon. Stir while adding in the cheese until melted. For best results add cheese in batches, stirring to incorporate in between. Serve the soup warm.
✔︎ Serving: Consider serving this soup with some crusty bread, croutons, tater-tots, or a light green salad to create a complete meal.
Storage
- Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop for best results, adding a splash of broth or milk if it thickens too much. Heat over low heat to prevent over-heating to cause separating.
- To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat slowly on the stovetop.
More Soup Recipes
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This creamy broccoli cheddar soup is the perfect mix of cheesy comfort and nutritious veggies, making it a family favorite. It's quick, easy to prepare, and tastes even better the next day—perfect for cozy weeknight dinners or meal prepping!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups broth low or no sodium (can use chicken or vegetable)
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 4 cups broccoli florets (12 ounces) chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dijon
- 3 cups cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, drizzle the olive oil and heat over medium low heat.
- Add in the onion and sauté until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour until a paste forms and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth and evaporated milk, stir until well combined.
- Add the broccoli, shredded carrots, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Measure the cornstarch into a small bowl, then add 1/4 cup of the warmed broth of the soup. Stir this together until smooth.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the soup pot.
- Cover the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Allow this to cook for 15 minutes, removing the lid to stir occasionally.
- Remove the lid and test that the broccoli has cooked and is soft and tender.
- Remove from heat, stir in the dijon.
- Stir while adding in the cheese until melted. Serve the soup warm.
Equipment
Notes
Broccoli: I prefer using fresh broccoli because it can be chopped into bite-sized pieces for even cooking. If using frozen broccoli, simply add it to the soup to defrost, and if the pieces are too large, you can blend part of the soup with an immersion blender for a smoother texture.
Onion & Garlic: Yellow onion adds a sweet, savory flavoring to the soup, but white onion works just as well if that’s what you have on hand! Fresh garlic is always best.
Flour: This recipe was written with all purpose flour, but you can use a gluten free version. Or omit if desired and use only cornstarch.
Milk: Using evaporated milk helps to make the soup rich and creamy, plus it helps to keep the soup from separating or curdling, making reheating easier.
Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the soup and when combined with the evaporated milk helps to prevent any curdling or separating of the soup when reheated.
Broth: Use either chicken broth or vegetable broth (using vegetable broth makes this a vegetarian recipe).
Cheese: Use sharp cheddar for a bold, cheesy flavor that melts smoothly into the soup. Grate your own cheese from the block to get the best melt.
Storage Information:
- Store leftover broccoli cheddar soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of broth or milk if it thickens too much.
- To freeze, store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat slowly on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1415mg | Potassium: 282mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1361IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 439mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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